National Mental Health Survey: Save the children from mental disorders

A government survey on mental disorders has been revealed that about 2.25 crore people are suffering from mental disorders at present in Bangladesh. At least 13.6 per cent of the children and 16.8 per cent of the adults in the country are suffering from mental disorders. This is really alarming especially children mental disorders are increasing. 

Children aged within 7 to 17 are considered in this survey and 8 types of mental disorders are found. Anxiety and neurodevelopment disorders were found to be the leading causes of the children mental health problems. Majority of them are out of treatment whereas some go to doctors and leave their treatment incomplete (08 November, 2019, The Daily Star).

The children are the future of the country. It is unfortunate that they suffer mental problems at very early stages of their life. At this situation we have to think about our social framework as well as children raising environment of the society. 

In between 7-17 ages, a child belongs to their family and different educational institutions (school and college). Then certainly there’s a correlation between their mental disorder and raising environment. Normally children engage with their education at 5-6 in primary or kinder garden school. At this age some parents also start their mission to make the child a mental patient by giving them constant pressure to do well in their academic performances. Their expectations are beyond the limit. 

Parents want to see their child in a good school (especially government school or other renowned school). Parents want success or good results in each exam they face (scholarship in class five and eight, A+ in SSC and HSC, admission in a good university). They keep them busy with the private and coaching. Normally most of the children are not allowed to play outdoor games like football, cricket, badminton rather to allow them mobiles and computers. As a result they are not social enough to communicate with others. 

They are now growing through an unhealthy competition in society. Due to excess screen addiction, children eat less, sleep less. Children who are mentally disturbed slept less, their parents reported. In college or university, they even involve with different adolescence crime as well as become drug addicted. Different mental disorders are developed as consecutive effects and fall down academic results. Thereafter we are putting pressure constantly rather to consult with a doctor.  

As this is a pandemic situation of Covid-19 and we are now too close with our children, Please try to make a good relation with your child. Try to understand his/her problems. Let them speak. Let them easy with you. This will helps to keep them mentally healthy.

According to definition, education brings positive changes in behavior. But no one here is able to understand the meaning of education. An unhealthy competition is destroying the ultimate goal of education. This system makes them frustrated at the beginning of their life rather to bring something good in their behavior. The government makes this education system complex one by bringing the different central exam (PSC, JSC) which carry no value except extra tension. Now the concentration is exam based, not to learn something new willingly. 

Education is now a business. Different private school, college, university as well as coaching centers are running their business and affect significantly the mental health of the children. The children spend their leisure time in coaching center (especially afternoon) whereas normally they are allowed to play. There’s no vacation for the children. After completing the final exam, they are forced to start study for next class. We don’t expect more from these children in future who already develop mental disorder and still untreated.  

The principle investigator of the survey reported about 250 mental health doctors are available across the country for 16 crore people which indicate acute shortage of specialist doctors. Another interesting finding from that survey is urban people are more affected in mental disorders than rural. In urban areas parents are putting more pressure on their children than rural. Parents are now busy to prove how successful they are.

 

These should be taken seriously by the policymakers, family members and educational institutions. PSC and JSC are the unnecessary exam, rising extra tension to children. Government should stop these exams. Just let it be done as previously. All the coaching centers should stop immediately. Admission test of different schools (class one to five) should be stopped by enforcing law. Parents should not put pressure to child unnecessary. 

Please stop these unhealthy competitions in this early stage of life. Let them play with others. Let them allow outdoor games. Give them some time to spend by their desire. Don’t hurt them for any silly reason. Please be strict in case of the mobile or computers in early Age. To do this, first you have to maintain the limited use of these devices. Don’t spend more time with mobile device unnecessarily especially in front of your child. Don’t keep any game in your mobile phone or computer. Allow them to read story books. Visit different historical places in the vacation. Observe the diet, eating habit and sleep. Please ensure sufficient sleep of your child (at-least 7-8 hours). Please, all of you come forward to save the children from mental stress and contribute to build a mentally healthy nation.

Nuronnabi Sagor