Depression, mood disorders on the rise among teenagers

The Rashid Hospital's psychiatry department counsels more than 300 new children and adolescents per year as outpatients.

Adolescence is a critical time of life. It is a time when people become independent individuals, forge new relationships, develop social skills, and learn behaviours that will last for the rest of their lives.
It can also be one of the most challenging periods.
The world has more young people now than ever - of the 7.2 billion people worldwide, more than three billion are younger than 25 years, making up 42 per cent of the world population. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), around 1.2 billion of these young people are adolescents aged between 10 and 19.
The Rashid Hospital's psychiatry department counsels more than 300 new children and adolescents per year as outpatients, in the wards, and in the emergency department.
Dr Nadia Dabbagh, consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist at the Rashid Hospital and programme lead for mental health strategy at the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), said majority of adolescent patients suffer from anxiety and mood disorders, eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, as well as psychotic disorders including schizophrenia.
"At this age, we find girls suffering from depression or anxiety as they tend to internalise their feelings. On the other hand, boys suffer from behavioural problems and conduct disorders as they externalise their feelings," she said.
"Not all cases need psychiatric counselling. Parents need to keep the channels of communication open with their children by actively listening to them; build trusting relationships by getting to know them; and understand them so they can detect when they are facing difficulties," she added.
"This is a crucial part of parenting. Once the parent picks up signs that need attention, they can intervene, and by involving other family members, caregivers or teachers, they may be able to resolve the problem."
There are some situations, however, where prompt medical attention is necessary.
"Sometimes due to societal pressures and cultural barriers, parents bring their children in late. A rule of thumb is that if the young person's emotional or behavioural difficulties have got to the point of impairing function - such as refusing to go to school or do other important daily tasks such as self-care, talking of self-harm, or if drug use is suspected - it is time to get professional guidance immediately to avoid further harm," she said.
According to Aamnah Husain, marriage and family therapist at German Neuroscience Centre, both Dubai children and adolescents often struggle with anxiety. "It could be social phobia, which is to worry about other people's perception and judgement. It may also involve fears about a performance or panic attacks or a more general form of anxiety," she said.
"The beliefs they hold about themselves and the world; the messages they get from people, places and organisations around them; the societal pressures they face; the level of support they have; and the resources available to them can all contribute to the development and treatment of their mental health. A history of trauma is also a big risk factor," Husain said.
According to the WHO, the UAE has the highest regional level of depression, at 5.1 per cent of the population. The country also ranks high for anxiety with 4.1 per cent of people admitting to the problem.
In 2015, there were 444,016 cases of depression reported at primary health centres, while 354,199 people sought help for anxiety.
Dr Dabbagh said the conditions appear at different age brackets. "At a younger age, we see cases of ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder), speech delay, developmental delay, autism spectrum disorder. The faster we recognise developmental delays, the better it is in terms of managing the condition through early intervention services, such as school readiness programmes and integration into mainstream school with the appropriate learning support."
"In older children, we see anxiety, separation anxiety, phobias and mood disturbances. Psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorders are rarely seen under the age of 12," she said.
She adds that listening and being there for your children to provide safety, stability and consistency as well as encouragement for kind and social behaviour are cornerstones of positive parenting.
How to keep children, teens mentally fit
1-Being there: Offer stability and security. Parenthood cannot be delegated.
2-Consistent positive parenting: Promoting and encouraging positive behaviour, spending time playing with children and positive reinforcement for pro-social behaviour, which includes helping, sharing and cooperating.
3-Boosting their sense of confidence: It is important to praise the efforts of your children and to focus more on the efforts rather than the achievements. This helps build their self-esteem and confidence.
4-Problem-solving: Instead of solving the child's problem, involve them in the process of thinking of different solutions. The problems can be simple day-to-day ones from ways to rebuild a Lego tower to more serious dilemmas such as failing important exams or dealing with changes or loss.
5-Setting clear expectations and boundaries: Good parenting involves being able to offer a combination of warm, caring and kind behaviour along with the ability to set firm boundaries. Children need boundaries to feel safe and to prepare them for the real world. The golden rule is that children cooperate better when they are positively motivated and rewarded. Oppositional behaviour can be ignored or redirected but overt defiance or aggression, such as hitting, dangerous behaviour or the use of swear words, needs to be addressed as unacceptable. However, the overall focus must be placed on motivating and encouraging children through a positive approach. Non-monetary rewards - such as smiles, praises, hugs and offering your time and interest - can be as effective as gifts or other treats.
6-Picking your battles: Too many fights damage your relationship with your children and can lead to persistent, defiant, oppositional behaviour and a potentially angry or depressed young person who won't be performing at his or her best. A positive behavioural approach and techniques such as distraction and redirection to deflate the situation are much better first-line approaches to negative behaviour.
Today's youth and their mental health issues
>One in six people are aged 10-19 years
>Mental health conditions account for 16 per cent of the global burden of disease and injury in people aged 10-19 years
>Half of all mental health conditions start by 14 years of age but most cases are undetected and untreated
>Globally, depression is one of the leading causes of illness and disability among adolescents
>Suicide is the third leading cause of death in 15-19-year-olds worldwide
>The consequences of not addressing adolescent mental health conditions extend to adulthood, impairing both physical and mental health and limiting opportunities to lead fulfilling lives as adults
KT NANO EDIT
Identify kids' emotional needs
Good parenting involves a lot more than just providing for a good education and comfortable living to children. It involves understanding their emotional needs, spending time with them, and instilling values and morals that will help them fight and cope better with various challenges in life. Having an open mind and confidence in oneself helps, and parents can play a great role in ensuring this.
asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com