Karachi: “In today’s society, it often feels like everyone is treated as patient with mental illness. I believe life is not always fair and while positive reinforcement is essential during child’s growth, excessive expectations of constant positivity can lead to negativity, depression. Mental illness and underscoring importance we need to prepare children from an early age to navigate inevitable stresses of life, recognising that life itself is source of stress”, said Syed Irfan Haider Vice Chancellor Ziauddin University.

Addressing audience at seminar ‘Nurtured Mind, Boundless Tomorrow: Children’s Mental Health Matters’, organised by College of Clinical Psychology, Ziauddin University he said seminar aimed to emphasise significance of prioritising child mental health, breaking stigma surrounding mental health, and connecting children and families with necessary support and resources to ensure well-being of children. Keep emphasising crucial role of early intervention, Dr. Raman Kumar Consultant Pediatrician and Pediatric Neurologist said that early intervention, particularly through family support and education is paramount for children aged birth to six years who have experienced or are at high risk for abuse and neglect.  It is vital to recognise that toxic stress can detrimentally impact developing brain architecture, leading to enduring challenges in learning, behaviour and both physical and mental well-being. In discussing early detection of autism and significance of recognising red flags, Dr. Shaista Ehsan FCPS Pediatrics and Associate Professor at Ziauddin University said that knowing red flags and symptoms of early diagnosis, such as sleep disorders, feeding issues, gastrointestinal symptoms, toe walking, poor coordination and attention and learning difficulties is crucial. There are numerous risk factors associated with autism. While explaining correlation between mental health and communication, Dr. Tahmeena Tabish from Ziauddin College of Speech Language and Hearing Sciences highlighted, “Speech and language-disordered children face higher risk of developing psychiatric disorders, with clear correlation between type of speech and language disturbance and presence of psychiatric conditions.

Earlier, in her welcome note, Dr. Shehla Najib Sidiki Dean Faculty of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, Ziauddin University said that our children are future of our nation and it is our responsibility to nurture them. We are witnessing rising prevalence of mental health issues among children in Pakistan, such as depression, anxiety and behavioural disorders, which are adversely affecting their well-being.

Published in The Daily National Courier, May, 24 2023

Like Business on Facebook, follow @DailyNCourier on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.