In conversation with Dr Amna Alfalahi from Danat Al Emarat Hospital for Women & Children on common sources and signs of stress among students starting a new term, and how parents can help navigate the same
PARTNER CONTENT: As the school year begins, the physical and mental well-being of children takes centre stage. There is a pressing need to focus on the latter too, a responsibility both parents and schools need to undertake.
Doctors at the 25th World Congress of IACAPAP 2022 highlighted how one in eight children across the world grapple with an apparent mental health disorder.
And yet, as Dr Amna Alfalahi of Danat Al Emarat Hospital for Women & Children explains, families continue to be wary of seeking professional help.
“For children, there is a kind of stigma going on that if I go to a psychologist, she might label me. Because they read a lot and know a lot, they try to avoid visiting mental health professionals. If you look at what is happening at the roots, it is the families that have big issues when it comes to mental health. That’s what’s cascading to their kids,” she explains.
As a clinical psychologist specialising in kids and adolescents, Dr Amna has over seven years of experience as a doctor and researcher. According to her, children going back to school can get easily overwhelmed for a myriad of reasons.
Some of the most common sources of anxiety for students include academic expectations, peer pressure, social anxiety and the fear of the unknown; there is usually tremendous pressure while transferring from one grade to another or even one school to another.
“Another issue lesser spoken about is separation anxiety, most commonly seen in younger kids,” she adds.
“Manifestation of this is seen in them complaining of headaches, stomach aches, nausea, or even throwing up in the car.”
With academic stress dominating, Dr Amna emphasises the importance of parents setting realistic expectations and providing adequate support.
“What happens when school opens is everybody acts all serious and kids can get a little bit overwhelmed. No more outings, no activities, etc. It is important to create a stress-free study environment at home. As a family, everyone should gather for meals to discuss something other than school. Parents should also encourage breaks and extra-curricular activities,” she says.
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Numerous schools across the UAE have taken active steps towards promoting mental health awareness. From sensitisation workshops to providing access to counsellors, there is certainly progress made on this front.
However, Dr Amna explains the need for both families and schools to advocate open discussions on the same, encouraging peer support programmes, possibly integrating mental health education into the curriculum and destigmatising seeking help for the same.
Bullying, peer pressure, and social anxiety
When it comes to bullying, warning signs to look out for in children are isolation and irritability. If such symptoms are flagged, asking your child to step up and report it is not enough.
Parents are encouraged to create a safe space for kids, with again, open communication and active listening being at the heart of it all.
“When it comes to reporting, it’s not always easy for the kids to step up and do it,” says Dr Amna.
“Parents need to guide the child and tell them how it is done. We need to teach them there is a system because not everybody is aware of how to report. And of course, reassuring them that it’s not their fault. By default, parents tend to label their kids or place blame on them, which we don’t want to happen.”
Another common issue that can occur in school, especially among adolescents, is social anxiety. Manifesting more often as stage fright or a general inability to communicate well with peers, kids often get massively anxious before presentations, sometimes even pushing to skip school over the same.
In such cases, Dr Amna explains, “We all have some kind of anxiety, that’s okay. When it starts affecting our daily life, that’s when there is a problem and parents should approach professionals. Changes in eating and sleeping patterns, frequent complaints of headaches, these are all signs that a healthcare professional needs to be consulted.”
How Danat Al Emarat can help
The hospital boasts plentiful resources, including but not limited to child and adolescent psychologists, and even counselling for parents to deal better with their children.
Additionally, “If they want, parents can also do some medical checkups before going back to school. One of the things the hospital recommends is flu shots, for example. I am also trying to run a training on emotional and behavioural difficulties among adolescents in the hospital for the caregivers (our staff),” she adds.
While mental health issues cannot be curtailed entirely, there are certainly some things families can do better when it comes to influencing young minds.
With body image issues, for instance, children could learn from watching their parents get concerned about weight issues. Or in the case of unhealthy digital habits and prolonged screen times, they could normalise taking their phones to bed from watching their parents do so.
In such cases, it becomes imperative for parents to be role models to impressionable young minds and create a better environment beginning at home. Essentially, training your children to make better decisions and trusting them to do it.
“Parents can encourage children to make decisions independently and express their opinions openly. We need to pat them on their shoulders when they do something right, and most importantly, teach them how to say no. We teach them how to be more confident by fostering self-esteem and assertiveness,” the doctor says.
For more information, visit Danat Al Emarat
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Image source Danat Al Emarat
