NURTURE
Don’t You
Worry,
Child
Childhood should be a
time of freedom, bliss,
innocence and adventure.
Yet, the majority of schoolgoing children today,
find themselves facing
similar psychological and
emotional threats of a
modern adult lifestyle:
daily anxiety, frustration
and stress on levels that
are overwhelming enough
to wreak havoc on both
body and mind.
We all need a little stress in our lives to
give us that extra motivational push, but it
doesn’t take rocket science to understand
how excessive stress is the root of all evil.
Emotionally, it makes you miserable.
Physically, it adds to your belly fat, puts
your heart at risk, and causes you to age
faster. Mentally, it makes you less capable.
Adults are all too familiar with this inner
demon, which is why it might come as
a surprise for some that the very same
consequences apply to children, too.
better informed are not only
more accepting when told of
a child’s mental health issues, they
are also more alert to picking up
symptoms of a mental
health problem.”
Late last year, The Straits Times reported
that calls to the Institute of Mental Health’s
(IMH’s) hotline for schools in Singapore
hit an all-time high of 8,336 in 2011: a
whopping 27 times more than the 306
calls made in 2007. In the latter year, the
REACH programme was established under
the National Mental Health Blueprint to
provide early identification, support and
intervention for children and adolescents
with emotional and behavior difficulties
and related mental health problems in the
primary and secondary schools and junior
colleges. The number of students referred
from schools to this programme also rose
from 14 to 739 over the same period.
• Becoming more withdrawn
Ms Kelly Yeo, Senior Clinical Psychologist,
REACH South Team, Department of Child
and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of
Mental Health, explains these alarming
rates, “A significant source of stress is
academic pressure which may be fed by
parental explanations, expectations in
school and the children’s own expectations
of their academic performance. Possibly
because children are spending more time
and school and on school-related work,
there is generally less time for recreational
activities which helps to relieve stress.”
..when these
periods of low
moods and/
or high anxiety
are protracted,
or symptoms
are severe
to the extent
that a person
can no longer
participate
as fully as
before in
his/her usual
activities...
20
Family & Life • Sept 2013
She goes on to highlight the impacts of such
an affliction: “A high level of stress may
predispose some children to develop mental
health issues, such as anxiety or moodrelated problems. Sometimes, a particularly
stressful period may be the trigger for an
anxiety disorder or even major depressive
disorder. Stress can also strain relationships
at home ??????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????)M?????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????????t)]???????????????????????????????)??!?????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????-????)???????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????)M????????qQ??????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????)??????? ??????????????????()-???????????????????????)?????????????????????????????)???????????????????????+??$????????????????????????????(+??$??????????????????????????????????)???????+??$????????????????????+??$?
???????????????????????????????)??????????????????????+??$???????????????+??$?????????????????????????)????????????????????+??$?I??????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????+??$??????????????????????????????)??????????????????)%??????????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????e???)????????????????????????????????)-???????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????????)?????????????????e???????????????+?q?????????????????????M???????)????????????????????????????????]?)?????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????)???????????t????????)?????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????-????)?????????????????????????????????)???????????????????+?q???????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????)??????????=???????????????????)?????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????t?-????)??????q!?????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????t()???Q????????????M????)???
??????(?%e?????????e??????????????????)???????($?Q????????e??????????????)?????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????)?????????????%?????????????)????????????????????????????????????????????????????)????????%D?(?%M???????????????????????)????????????????($?
???????????????????????)????????????????????????????)????????????????????????)???????????????????????????(?%)???????????????????????????)??????????e?????????????($?
?????????????????????????)???????????????????????????)??????e????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????)???????????????????(?%
???????????????????)???????????????????????????)????????($? ??????????????????????)????????????????????????)????????????????????????????)???????????????????????)????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????)????????(?%M???????????????($?%??????????????????????)??????????A??????????)???????????????????????)??????????????????????)??????????????????????????)??????q???????????????????????t)?????????=?????????????????)?????????????????????????)???????????????????????)??????????????????????((