Hemoptysis
Mental Health Crisis in Children
This topic on mental health crisis was thoroughly discussed by Dr Geraldine Anne D. Lobo during our Philippine Pediatric Society Convention and i will be presenting her lecture for the benefit of parents and caregivers.
Dr. Lobo mentioned that among the 14 year old age group, 50% of these children may have undergone stresses in their lives ; and , among the 24 year age group 75 % felt the same. However, only 20% among them received proper assessment and treatment.
Furthermore, she presented the risk and protective factors for youth that would guide in the prevention of mental crisis and the intervention strategies in times of problems.
These factors may influence the course of mental disorders.
The following are identified risk factors for mental health crisis among the pediatric age group:
– peer rejection
– poor academic achievement
– poverty
– community level stressful events
– school level stressful events
– community/ school trauma
– low commitment to school
– and aggressive behaviors toward peers
– association with drug-using peers
– societal norms that favor alcohol and drug use
– urban setting
– association with deviant peers
– and loss of close relationship.
Whereas, the protective factors identified are the following:
– presence of mentors and support for development of skills and interests
– opportunities for engagement within school and community
– positive norms
– clear expectations for behaviors
– and physical and psychological safety
It was also pointed out by Dr Geraldine Anne Lobo that there are some programs in social media that could be stressors in the mental health of children.
One among them is Tiktok. According to the study made by Leah Kuntz and Jacklyn Halpen on March 11, 2022, Tiktok has an effect on every child and adolescent mental health.
The pros of Tiktok are the following:
– interacting common interest
– learning new hobby
– promotes business and creations
– share content that is playful, fun and educational
– peacefully mobilizing around social and political issues
– establishing a sense of identity
– and providing a source of entertainment and social connection
On the other hand, Tiktok with over 1 billion users that dominates youth culture has also its Cons and these are the following:
– oversexualization of young people’s bodies (Tiktok dances)
– difficulty filtering inappropriate subject matters
– adults’ fear and lack of understanding
– differences in ethics and values surrounding the tiktok content
– and unpredictability of
Online predators.
Moreover, Dr Lobo emphasized that according to a German study , you tube and other online platforms could induce a more Mass Social Media Induced Illness ( MSMI). This illness may present as a Tourette- like symptom and can be viewed as a modern expression of a culture – bound stress reaction.
So for our children to have a healthy mental state, we should advocate “Play”.
Parents and caregivers should not encourage gadgets as their toys. Dr Lobo reiterated that in play :
– children feel happy and contented
– encourage brain development and growth
– establish neurological connections
– increase the ability to learn and succeed academically
– increase problem solving abilities
– stimulate growth of cerebral
Cortex
– and improve memory and attention span