By Open HouseThursday 5 Feb 2015Open House InterviewsParentingReading Time: 2 minutes
To youths and children, the world is a very different place to when their parents were younger. The increased pressures of school, sports, friends and family are beginning to stack up in children’s minds resulting in learning difficulties, behavioural difficulties and mental illnesses. Dr. Anne Chalfant speaks about how parents can recognise and help their children with the early signs of mental health issues.
Pressure to perform academically and physically, pressure to socialize, maintain friendships and be an active member of the family without a strong supportive network may be the foundation or the trigger for mental, intellectual and behavioural difficulties in children. When distinguishing a cause for these illnesses, a definitive answer has not been found. Dr. Chalfant outlines that genetics could be a defining factor, parents who are naturally anxious may have passed on their demeanour to their kids, although specific genes have not be outlined. However, even without a genetic predisposition, triggers like cyber bullying, pressure from social media and difficulties with attention can spark mental health issues.
Establish an environment in which their child feels comfortable expressing their emotions
The role of parent plays a pivotal role in the development of mental illnesses in children, from detecting early signs of depression and anxiety to creating an environment that harbours and growth depressive tendencies. It is very important for parents to establish an environment in which their child feels comfortable expressing their emotions and where they’ll know they will be heard. Dr. Chalfant strongly believes setting an example for your children, one where you share your emotions and talk about them freely, and by giving at least 10 minutes of undivided attention (no checking phones or emails) can provide an outlet for a child to express their emotions. By building a safe environment for parent and child to talk, the indicative signs of depression and anxiety can be discovered easily and preventative and supportive measures can follow easily.
Parents need not worry as help is not far. Many different resources have been made available through the internet to help parents deal with the difficulties their children face. Dr. Anne Chalfant’s website offers mental health support, info sheets for parents, information on dealing with bullying and how to talk to your kids about mental illness. Numerous books are available in stores including Macquarie University’s Ronald Rapee’s Helping your Anxious Child. There is also an anonymous help line for children to call and speak with professionals about what they are feeling and what they should do at 1800 55 1800.