MHM Magazine

42 | MENTALHEALTHMATTERS | Issue 3 | 2021 MHM media and the ease of access that children have, must be able to talk to their children about the dangers of social media. On the flip side when children do, for some reason, get exposed to harmful content they must be able to feel they shouldn’t hide this harmful content or abuse from their parents. The number one thing to tell your patients, is to know what their children are looking at. Parents should have full knowledge about the websites their children may be visiting, the types of conversation they’re having, who they may be in conversation with etc. Parents also need to be aware of not helicopter parenting, which may also be potentially harmful in the long run. To allow an open and safe environment in the home means open, honest conversation, so that if things do come up, the parent or child is able to “red flag’’ anything harmful. If this happens then they’re able to have a conversation with their parents and snuff out any potential harmful pathways this event may lead to. It’s important to remember that children have a great reserve and resilience - although these times are incredibly challenging and unpredictable, with different levels of inconsistent change. But there’s no reason why children shouldn’t be able to get through this again. When it comes to the mental health of children and adolescents and their safety within this realm, it’s important to know when children are showing signs of mental illnesses. What’s important to note is that children and adolescents are as prone to experiencing mental health conditions as adults. The major difference however is that the signs and symptoms may be slightly different. In younger children we see two groups of signs and symptoms which may arise. The first of these groups can be defined as external signs which include behavioural problems such as hyperactivity, disruption in the classroom and often looks like ADHD. These kinds of symptoms may even lead children to be diagnosed with ADHD, but it’s important to understand that if the child is trying to communicate a distress, such as feeling unsafe in the classroom, they might disrupt the classroom or start bullying other children. They might express their distress through shouting, screaming and crying in the classroom. Remember these are children that are not necessarily trying to be difficult or disruptive to family or their classroom out of choice, but they’re trying to desperately convey their distress to somebody without having the actual words to use. The second type of symptoms are the internal symptoms or the inward signs which may include socially withdrawing, not spending time with the family, lots of anxiety, complaining of headaches, abdominal pain, school refusal and low or even irritable mood. Generally speaking, children are quieter and become very distant. Often, children who show these types of symptoms are the sort that slip under the radar. Other indicators of a struggling child, possibly due to this imminent third wave, may again be school refusal and a decline in their marks. In teenagers we often see very similar signs and symptoms in mental health issues as we do with adults. Signs of a depressed child: • Low Mood • Disrupted sleep • Loss of interest in seeing friends or colleagues • Lack of motivation doing things they previously enjoyed • Change in their appetite Most importantly, evidence of self-harm and high risk taking behaviour, which could lead to self- medication with drugs and alcohol. Self-harming such as cutting usually appears on the wrists or on the inner thighs which are examples of extreme cases of depression. Teenagers could also display anxiety which manifests very similarly to adults with withdrawing behaviours, complaining of panic attacks, feeling overwhelmed, lots of crying episodes; feeling they’re being trapped and suffocated. The most imperative thing it to firstly understand that children are resilient. Children can adapt to environments but are also very open to getting better and if parents notice these symptoms it would be very important to speak to their child and to gauge where they’re at. Parents can, based on that interaction and conversation gauge the level of concern for the child or teenager. If signs and symptoms are of a high level of concern, it would be necessary to seek help from a more professional body for assistance. References available upon request