A helping hand...

“There is a pressing need to reduce the toll of the Covid-19 pandemic on mental health. Children and teenagers are vulnerable. This is a tough time for many young people. Signs of trouble may only start to show later but for the most part, these are natural reactions to an unexpected situation. Children with pre-existing health conditions, those living in low-income households or those facing domestic abuse or child maltreatment, and those infected with the virus are more likely to develop mental health problems. Their age, physical or mental health status, stress management techniques, past experiences, or a mental or physical health condition determine how they react to the challenges.” – Medical lecturer and consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist Dr Rahima Dahlan@Mohd Shafie

“Many of my secondary students, especially those whose families have been hard-hit financially, expressed losing their concentration, being easily distracted, and not being able to motivate themselves to focus or study. Physically, mentally, and emotionally, they tend to switch off and some have even taken ‘off days’ from social media during the lockdown, even skipping my online lessons. As a result, they are unable to keep up with lessons or improve as much as they had hoped to. Teenagers face a rollercoaster of emotions, and at this particular juncture in their lives, they need space to breathe. The least parents can do is to listen and understand what their children are going through.” – Tuition teacher Caleb Ho

“It is important to consciously support a child’s emotional well-being, especially since we’re not out of the pandemic yet. There is a spike in anxiety and behavioural problems with the children that I work with during this period. Many feel demotivated and helpless. Some have turned defiant as they do not have their normal routines for coping anymore. It is often picked up as a behavioural problems like not attending classes, submitting incomplete work or having high conflict at home with family members. There are also the worrying ones who withdraw and quietly bottle up all their frustrations and emotions, not knowing where or how to express them or thinking that no one understands them. Helping children to understand and express their feelings, providing them with strategies and skills needed to cope, and helping them accept that this pandemic is difficult, will all be important.” – Play therapist and mother-of-three Siew Ju Li

“To combat the negative effects of the pandemic on a child’s psychological well-being and developmental future, we need to identify the risk and protective factors, and the resources available to face these challenges and share strategies to build resilience in the children. The disparity between the rich and the poor spills over to access to education – affecting academic results and the self-esteem of underprivileged children. Children are also missing out on key development due to restrictions on socialising. This includes friendships and relationships which help promote confidence, social intelligence, and social support; as well as sports and outdoor activities that promote sense of achievement, structure and perseverance. Everyone is worried about their futures and how long they would still be confined to their homes. There are psychological long-term effects from this pandemic – such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder – but, there are also things parents can do to build resilient kids. Psychosocial support groups for parent and for children, and emotional intelligence workshops for families and organisations are key in building community-wide resilience and in improving the well-being of the nation.” – Psychologist Dr Brendan J Gomez