Protecting your child's MENTAL HEALTH

Generation Alpha faces challenges that previous generations never imagined. Rapid social changes, academic pressure, ubiquitous Internet and social media, and exposure to global crises such as pandemics and climate change have shot up their stress levels.

- DR. TARUN SINGH

Once an understated topic, children’s mental health is now at the forefront of public discourse due to a marked increase in mental health issues afflicting children and adolescents. This tectonic shift underscores the importance of identifying causes, recognising symptoms quickly, and implementing solutions to support children’s mental health and emotional well-being.

Generation Alpha faces challenges that previous generations never imagined. Rapid social changes, academic pressure, and exposure to global crises such as pandemics and climate change have shot up their stress levels. Add to this the pervasive influence of technology and social media, often exacerbating problems such as cyberbullying and body image issues. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 10-20 percent of children and adolescents worldwide experience mental health problems, many of them undiagnosed and untreated. This is a call to action for families, educators, healthcare providers, and policymakers to seriously address this new pandemic.

MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS CAUSES

Global events impact. The Covid-19 pandemic is a good example of how global events disrupt children’s mental health. School closures, isolation from peers, and stress of uncertainty prompted high anxiety, depression, and behavioural problems.