Interviewed by: kakani Veera Brahmam, Editor in Chief, Brainfeed Magazine
Ramya Agasthi, Psychologist and Founder of ‘The Wings of Mind’ shares her thoughts on student related mental health issues and how to deal with them
How can a parent know if his or her child needs help?
It is essential for parents to keep their eyes and ears open. A lookout for a change in behavioral patterns would help. From Grade 7, there are a lot of changes and novel experiences that adolescents undergo with significant behavioural and psychological adjustments. Adolescents face strong emotions, changing peer relationships, more independence, expectations to be more adult-like, and a desire to take risks, all while lacking a fully mature brain or the life experience to navigate these situations. It is inevitable that some mistakes will occur along the way, as well as a great deal of learning.
Why do children get rebellious and how does one deal with them?
Children and adolescents sometimes argue, are aggressive, or become angry or defiant around adults. A behaviour disorder may be diagnosed when these disruptive behaviours uncommon for the child’s age persists over time, or are severe. Disruptive behaviour disorders involve acting out and showing unwanted behaviour towards others they are often called externalizing disorders.
In most cases, it is a cry for help which parents and teachers mistake for rude behaviour. For instance, a student may be interested in painting or play the guitar. The parent wants him or her to attend tuitions. When the students’ interest is not heeded, the common refrain is: ‘I have no freedom’, ‘I am in a jail’ and ‘I am living in a cage.’ At this stage if they are addressed properly, they will magically turn around.
How much do fellow students play a part in emotional well-being?
The classroom is the battleground of the mind. It can make or break you. At an impressionable age when hormonal changes start happening, children start looking at each other differently. They start giving you names; a fat person may be called a ‘pig’, someone with long legs a crane, etc. Or tag with classmates and tease them, the list can go on. It can be detrimental on the psyche of a person. Some get affected and take it to heart. They need help or slowly over time, they turn into wrecks. Bullying even in the subtlest form can leave a scar on the mind for years and even for life.
What if these young ones are not observed and helped in time?
Youth are at higher risk for suicide-related behaviors if they experienced violence, including child abuse, bullying, or sexual violence, and cannot cope with problems in healthy ways and solve problems peacefully. Teens with disabilities, learning differences, sexual/gender identity differences, or cultural differences are often most vulnerable to being bullied.
Teens who report frequently being bullied by others are at high, long-term risk for suicide-related behaviour. Youth who report both being bullied and bullying others (sometimes referred to as bully-victims) have the highest rates of negative mental health outcomes, including depression, anxiety, and thinking about suicide. Several major theories of the development of antisocial behaviour treat adolescence as an important period.
What is the role of schools?
A child spends a major part of his time at school and his life revolves around friends and teachers apart from close ones at home. It is unfortunate that schools do not give enough importance to mental health or emotional well-being. Every school should have a psychologist. Every year so many students commit suicide, yet we have not realized the importance to have councillors. Barring a few schools, majority do not have counsellors.
Also, a counsellor should not be given administrative work or made to take substitution classes. It is a specialist job and they can play a huge role in not just helping students but the staff as well.
How can psychologists help?
At every walk of life individuals face multiple challenges but addressing emotional well-being issues solves many problems, allows them to have best behavioral practices for success .
Psychologists not only help you to cope with mental health issues but they also help in solving your daily problems. If you are not able to concentrate, have issues in relationships, or with family members, or need career counselling, psychologists help in everything
Psychologists are trained to understand and dig deep and go to the root of the problem. We understand the ‘core belief’ of the individual and restructure their thought process and explore their journey in the right path. Many a time the problem is with the parents but the child suffers. So after the child counselling is over, we counsel the parents too, if necessary.
