Guardians need to be aware about their children's mental health
Saturday, 6 December 2008
Ainud Binth Jubair Sony of News Network
Mustafiz, a 12-year-old boy from Ranpur, is always restless and naughty. He keeps himself busy all day long making a hell lot of troubles. This boy not only troubles his family, but also the neighbours. Some of Mustafiz's activities are quite violent. His activities include stealing, setting fire to anything and bashing people.
As things crossed the limit, the boy was taken to a 'kabiraj' (herbal practitioner) and then to a village doctor only to make the things worse. Finally, Mustafiz was taken to a pediatrician who immediately sent him to National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) in the capital.
At this age, Mustafiz was supposed to have a good time, playing and studying instead of undergoing treatment. "I've done everything possible," says Mustafiz's worried mother Sharifa. Having fed up, I even beat him up mercilessly. I took him to a 'fakir' and a 'kabiraj' thinking that he is under the influence of demons. But, nothing has worked. Finally, I've brought him here. Now, he's much better.
Eight-year-old Shahed from Mirpur is also under treatment in the same hospital's Children Development Centre. Once a good student, Shahed is now reluctant about his studies. When he gets angry, he breaks everything and no one can stop him. He is quite unmanageable.
His mom Rina Begum says: "If he cannot pronounce any difficult word while studying, he gets very angry. And, he goes out of control. Lately, I took him to a child specialist, who referred my boy to this centre. He is now undergoing counseling".
Dr Golam Rabbani, a professor of Children and Adolescents department at NIMH, says, "Like Mustafiz and Shahed, many children and adolescents are victims of mental problems. But, parents in our country don't want to understand that children may have mental problems."
He further says, "There is no specific age for mental problems. Children may suffer from the same problems as adults do, like hysteria, depression, schizophrenia etc. Even, an infant may suffer from depression."
Emphasizing the importance of detecting mental problems at an early stage, Dr Rabbani also says: "It's possible to quickly cure mental problems through proper treatment if they are diagnosed at the initial stage -- the sooner, the better."
A research by World Health Organization shows about 7.0 per cent of Bangladesh's 140 million population is affected by mental diseases and the number is higher in rural areas -- 50 in 1,000 people. The number of affected women is more than their male counterparts.
According to a research conducted by ICDDR,B in 1999, 16.5 per cent of the country's children and adolescents are affected by mental diseases.
Doctors and specialists of the National Institute of Mental Health mainly talk about two types of mental problems suffered by children and adolescents and those are related to development and behavioural. Autism, hyperactivity, pica, schizophrenia, depression etc., are also mental problems. Besides, there are problems like getting seared without reasons, social phobia, attacking mentality, inattentiveness, suicidal tendency, school phobia and reluctance to take food.
Dr Faruk Alam, associate professor of Children and Adolescents department at NIMH, says, children and adolescents suffer from both development and emotional problems. Behavioural problems fall within the ambit of emotional problems. If these problems are not detected quickly, the affected child is likely to involve gradually in anti-social and illegal activities. Therefore, guardians must be aware of these problems.
Zahiruddin, a clinical psychologist of the same institute, says guardians can play the most important role in solving mental problems of their children and adolescents. Quarrels between mum and dad have a huge impact on children's mental health.
He also says there are three types of guardians -- one type that attaches less importance to the matters of their children, another type only loves children resulting in non-flourishment of their personality and the third type is always heavy-handed with their children making them rebellious. Guardians will have to control their children in a moderate manner.
Prof Dr Golam Rabbam of NIMH says 3.0 per cent of the world's children and adolescents are victims of mental disability, which is not a disease but permanent inability. In terms of knowledge, they are weak and they have less ability to understand.
A recent WHO report based on a research on 1000 mentally handicapped children and adolescents shows the rates of hardcore and mild handicapped are 5.93 per cent and 4.45 per cent respectively. All types of mentally disabled are more in villages than towns.
Clinical psychologist Zahiruddin says one can be mentally disabled before birth, during birth and after birth. Hereditary brain-related diseases are the causes of mental disability. Besides, malnutrition, problems during delivery, underweight children and post-natal health problems are the other reasons.
Associate Professor of NIMH Dr Faruk Alain says, "The issue of birth registration doesn't get that much importance in Bangladesh. Health-related information are not available here. Therefore, it is very difficult to treat mental diseases."
He also says the number of hospitals for mental patients is very inadequate. And the number of doctors in these hospitals is negligible. For instance, there are only 20 beds for Child and Adolescent department at NIHM, which is too inadequate. The number of beds should be increased.
Doctors and specialists mainly emphasize awareness among the guardians for ensuring good mental health of the children and adolescents. They also stress the need for counseling of children and adolescents, and their guardians, observation of children by guardians, counseling of parents before taking children, children's sports, special education for mentally disabled children, availability of psychologists at schools and increase of number of hospitals.
Prof Dr Golam Rabbani says, "If children and adolescents of the country don't enjoy sound mental health, their future will be uncertain, which will harm not only their families but also the country. Therefore, it is guardians who will have to be most aware about the mental health of their children.
Mustafiz, a 12-year-old boy from Ranpur, is always restless and naughty. He keeps himself busy all day long making a hell lot of troubles. This boy not only troubles his family, but also the neighbours. Some of Mustafiz's activities are quite violent. His activities include stealing, setting fire to anything and bashing people.
As things crossed the limit, the boy was taken to a 'kabiraj' (herbal practitioner) and then to a village doctor only to make the things worse. Finally, Mustafiz was taken to a pediatrician who immediately sent him to National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) in the capital.
At this age, Mustafiz was supposed to have a good time, playing and studying instead of undergoing treatment. "I've done everything possible," says Mustafiz's worried mother Sharifa. Having fed up, I even beat him up mercilessly. I took him to a 'fakir' and a 'kabiraj' thinking that he is under the influence of demons. But, nothing has worked. Finally, I've brought him here. Now, he's much better.
Eight-year-old Shahed from Mirpur is also under treatment in the same hospital's Children Development Centre. Once a good student, Shahed is now reluctant about his studies. When he gets angry, he breaks everything and no one can stop him. He is quite unmanageable.
His mom Rina Begum says: "If he cannot pronounce any difficult word while studying, he gets very angry. And, he goes out of control. Lately, I took him to a child specialist, who referred my boy to this centre. He is now undergoing counseling".
Dr Golam Rabbani, a professor of Children and Adolescents department at NIMH, says, "Like Mustafiz and Shahed, many children and adolescents are victims of mental problems. But, parents in our country don't want to understand that children may have mental problems."
He further says, "There is no specific age for mental problems. Children may suffer from the same problems as adults do, like hysteria, depression, schizophrenia etc. Even, an infant may suffer from depression."
Emphasizing the importance of detecting mental problems at an early stage, Dr Rabbani also says: "It's possible to quickly cure mental problems through proper treatment if they are diagnosed at the initial stage -- the sooner, the better."
A research by World Health Organization shows about 7.0 per cent of Bangladesh's 140 million population is affected by mental diseases and the number is higher in rural areas -- 50 in 1,000 people. The number of affected women is more than their male counterparts.
According to a research conducted by ICDDR,B in 1999, 16.5 per cent of the country's children and adolescents are affected by mental diseases.
Doctors and specialists of the National Institute of Mental Health mainly talk about two types of mental problems suffered by children and adolescents and those are related to development and behavioural. Autism, hyperactivity, pica, schizophrenia, depression etc., are also mental problems. Besides, there are problems like getting seared without reasons, social phobia, attacking mentality, inattentiveness, suicidal tendency, school phobia and reluctance to take food.
Dr Faruk Alam, associate professor of Children and Adolescents department at NIMH, says, children and adolescents suffer from both development and emotional problems. Behavioural problems fall within the ambit of emotional problems. If these problems are not detected quickly, the affected child is likely to involve gradually in anti-social and illegal activities. Therefore, guardians must be aware of these problems.
Zahiruddin, a clinical psychologist of the same institute, says guardians can play the most important role in solving mental problems of their children and adolescents. Quarrels between mum and dad have a huge impact on children's mental health.
He also says there are three types of guardians -- one type that attaches less importance to the matters of their children, another type only loves children resulting in non-flourishment of their personality and the third type is always heavy-handed with their children making them rebellious. Guardians will have to control their children in a moderate manner.
Prof Dr Golam Rabbam of NIMH says 3.0 per cent of the world's children and adolescents are victims of mental disability, which is not a disease but permanent inability. In terms of knowledge, they are weak and they have less ability to understand.
A recent WHO report based on a research on 1000 mentally handicapped children and adolescents shows the rates of hardcore and mild handicapped are 5.93 per cent and 4.45 per cent respectively. All types of mentally disabled are more in villages than towns.
Clinical psychologist Zahiruddin says one can be mentally disabled before birth, during birth and after birth. Hereditary brain-related diseases are the causes of mental disability. Besides, malnutrition, problems during delivery, underweight children and post-natal health problems are the other reasons.
Associate Professor of NIMH Dr Faruk Alain says, "The issue of birth registration doesn't get that much importance in Bangladesh. Health-related information are not available here. Therefore, it is very difficult to treat mental diseases."
He also says the number of hospitals for mental patients is very inadequate. And the number of doctors in these hospitals is negligible. For instance, there are only 20 beds for Child and Adolescent department at NIHM, which is too inadequate. The number of beds should be increased.
Doctors and specialists mainly emphasize awareness among the guardians for ensuring good mental health of the children and adolescents. They also stress the need for counseling of children and adolescents, and their guardians, observation of children by guardians, counseling of parents before taking children, children's sports, special education for mentally disabled children, availability of psychologists at schools and increase of number of hospitals.
Prof Dr Golam Rabbani says, "If children and adolescents of the country don't enjoy sound mental health, their future will be uncertain, which will harm not only their families but also the country. Therefore, it is guardians who will have to be most aware about the mental health of their children.