Commentary: Focus on parents to fight mental health issues among young

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Supporting the mental health of young people needs the encouraging involvement of a key stakeholder – parents, says a youth counsellor.

SINGAPORE: When Jenna* first struggled with symptoms of anxiety and depression in Secondary 2, she tried to talk to her parents about it.The result of that single, short conversation had long- lasting effects. She didn’t turn to her parents anymore.found that one in seven has experienced a mood, anxiety or alcohol use disorder in their lifetime.The 2016 study also found that more than three-quarters of the population with a mental disorder in their lifetime did not seek any professional help.

They matter when research finds that youth and parental willingness to participate in treatment are the best predictors of young people’s mental health.It is not easy for a parent coming to grips with their child struggling with mental health. Overwhelmed by their own feelings, parents may become protective – leading them to deny or keep their child’s condition hidden. This is common especially in Asian societies where stigma and shame associated with mental illness remains strong.

Parents too tend to dismiss how their kids feel but acknowledging feelings can help reduce the intensity of unpleasant emotions and increase one’s acceptance of their emotional experience, research shows.Sometimes teenagers struggle to articulate their emotions, so scaffolding questions and asking after conjecturing about potential sources of their frustration might help.

Here is also where parents can try and hold off introducing their own feelings into the equation. In my experience, things backfire when parents say things like: “What stress? You don’t know how good your life is, don’t you think I am stressed?” Yet, too often people wait till three quarters of the house is on fire before they seek help. By then, the damage can be very severe, and restoration can be even more challenging.

 

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