..Experts worry over growing mental health challenge in children
From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
There is a growing concern about the rising cases of mental health conditions among children in Nigeria.
Social scientists note that many children within the primary and secondary school bracket are exhibiting disturbing symptoms of mental diseases, with a good number of them reaching suicidal levels.
The worrisome development has amplified the call by various bodies for an aggressive and collaborative effort to address the scourge, as there may be insufficient sound human capital to manage the country and institutions in future.
From the context of the World Health Organisation (WHO), mental health conditions include mental disorders and psychosocial disabilities; as well as other mental states associated with significant distress, impairment in functioning, or risk of self-harm.
According WHO, depression is one of the leading causes of mental disability, while suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among 15-29-year-olds.
Experts say that people with severe mental health conditions die prematurely – as much as two decades early – due to preventable physical conditions.
The Junior Chamber International (JCI), a non-governmental organization that specializes in developing young people for leadership, said it recently conducted research on some of the prevailing social problems among Nigerian kids and discovered that mental health issues were on an increase.
Speaking at a recent debate for secondary schools organized by the organization to raise awareness on the issue, its President, Olubunmi Ajayi, said: “We went into the society to see some of the prevailing problems in the society these days, and we found out that mental health issues among children were on the rise”.
JCI’s findings corroborate a survey conducted by the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) in 2021, which revealed that Nigeria is facing a mental health challenge, with one in six young Nigerians aged 15-24 saying they often feel depressed, have little interest in doing things, or are worried, nervous or anxious.
Data from the survey also showed that Nigerian children and young people feel under the most pressure to succeed globally and have a high level of concern about many and varied issues, compared to their peers in other countries.
Ajayi said stress factors in schools and homes as well as the aftermath of COVID-19 were impacting children’s mental health and advised institutions, such as schools and workplaces, to start incorporating mental health into their curricula and raising awareness of the problem.
Dr. Joy Ify Ugwu, Lecturer and Developmental Psychologist, Department of Psychology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka identified anxiety disorders, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) and autism spectrum disorder as some of the most common mental health problems among children.
She also listed Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), eating disorders, depression and other mood disorders, among others.
According to Ugwu, children who suffer emotional and physical abuse, neglect, undue pressure, discrimination, epilepsy and genetic factors, among others, are at high risk of developing mental health conditions.
“Mental health issues in children are varied and so are the revealing signs. The causes are determined by a diagnostic category. Take for instance, ODD. It may be indicated by anger, disobedience, irritable mood, argumentation, and vindictiveness. So, looking at these symptoms of ODD, you would discover that some children who may not even have ODD may exhibit these symptoms. So, how can one differentiate normal children who do not have this condition from those who have it?”
She said the frequency and number of the symptoms determine the diagnosis of mental health problems.
“If the child manifests four or more of these symptoms in the past six months, the child can be diagnosed with ODD. If the resistance exceeds the normal age of the child, or is more than what is expected of the child’s gender or what is expected in the culture of that child, the child can be diagnosed with having ODD”, she explained.
To eradicate the menace, the child Psychologist said it was imperative to understand children who have high risk of mental health problems early and put in place necessary interventions to ensure an appropriate support system for them and their families.
“Interventions may come in the form of treatment and therapies. For instance, Conduct Disorder (CD) has been linked to negative emotionality. Therefore, encouraging children at risk of the disorder to develop positive emotionality may be helpful
“Also, temperamental factors have been identified as one of the causes of mental health problems in children. So, parents should be educated on these mental health issues in children so that they would be able to identify these signs early in their kids. For instance, parents should be able to know that when temper tantrums become too frequent, they may no longer be normal and report to appropriate quarters. They can also learn to understand these children more and handle them better because harsh parenting is also a contributor to mental health issues among children”, she warned.
Explaining further, the Doctor said: “Another contributory factor to mental health problems is child abuse and neglect. Some women, bring in young girls into their homes as caregivers but deny them access to education. They make them take care of their kids until probably later when the girls are grown up, then they decide to send them to school. By then, the child is overgrown for the class they may find themselves in. They feel intimidated by the fact that they are older than most of the other students in the class. Such scenarios may cause mental health issues like intellectual disability in such children. Also, the inferiority complex they have because of this, may affect their performance.
“It is not only such women that abuse children. Even parents abuse their children. There are some disciplinary measures that parents adopt which may be abusive. For example is restricting the child from going out always or emotionally abusing the child. Parents must learn to explain to the child the reason for punishing them whenever they do so.
“This awareness can be created even in the churches by groups such as the Catholic Women Organisation (CWO) and the Catholic Men Organisation (CMO) as well.
“Another issue is inconsistent parenting. Where a parent gives conflicting instructions to a child. This can expose them to such mental health issues”, she added.
Hanatu Enwemadu, therapist for child and family wellbeing and Team Lead Manager, A Mother’s Love Initiative, said factors such as The Hurried syndrome, where children are hurried through school by skipping some classes, can cause high levels of stress, anxiety, and emotional strain that can lead to mental health condition.
Enwemadu warned that disruptions to a child’s developmental process can negatively impair a child’s capacity and also have lifelong implications.
“Such experiences, also referred to as Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES), are usually traumatic experiences or events which lead to mental health challenges in children.
“Research has also shown that Adverse Childhood Experiences are linked to chronic health problems, mental illness, and substance use problems in adolescence and adulthood. Such traumatic experiences negatively impact education, job opportunities, and earning potential”, she stated.
The child therapist, however, explained that these can be prevented by simply allowing children to grow into adulthood without any interference during development.
“A mentally stable and balanced child grows into an adult who is beneficial to self and the society. Victims of mental health challenges are also encouraged to seek professional help.”
She recommended that children be protected because they are vulnerable, dependent, and developing and that the role of play and creativity be enshrined in every human environment and every child be given the same rights and opportunities to be happy.
Enwanmadu also advised that the law of nature be preserved and protected to ensure a balanced and sustainable future and that governmental agencies should also partner with key non-governmental organizations in constantly sensitizing Nigerians on the importance of preserving the mental well-being of the Nigerian Children.
A Clinical Psychologist at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State Medical Center, Ijeoma Nwizu, said sudden change in behavour or decline in academic performance, excessive crying, aggressiveness, sleeping problems, among others, were some of the tell-tales signs to look out for in children suffering mental health disorders.
She said Nigeria needs to intensify awareness, establish emergency helplines and facilities; as well as invest in research and data collection to enable the country to adequately tackle the problem.
“Tackling mental health issues in Nigeria should be a collective effort. Professionals, parents, teachers and government all have roles to play. Many people do not know what mental health is about. They think it’s a spiritual problem. We must intensify awareness creation through outreach programs and campaigns.
“Research and data collection shouldn’t be excluded because they can give better understanding on the prevalence, factors, risks and also interventions. Data collected are analyzed and it is through those analysis that we get evidence-based policies.
Nwizu urged parents to learn to allow their kids express themselves and listen to them while they do so.
She also advises that issues of mental health must never be trivialized.