Wednesday (27/4) the Center for Public Mental Health, Faculty of Psychology, UGM held an online lecture, or it could also be called “KulOn”. The event which started at 13:00 WIB was filled with Nurul Kusuma Hidayati, M.Psi., Psychologist and Wirdatul Anisa, M.Psi., Psychologist. The topic that was presented this time was “Mental Health of Children and Adolescents” by online. “The more we are here, the more open we are to the many cases of depression experienced by high school students and below,” said Nurul.
This is also supported by UNICEF’s statement, that teenagers in Indonesia have no interest in activities and are depressed. According to Nurul, symptoms of depression if not treated immediately will become a mental disorder. The findings also reveal that the COVID-19 pandemic makes children more likely to experience depression twice the risk. “Why child? Because children don’t have the ability to adapt well,” explained Nurul.
Kid and adolescents who experience psychological stress caused by things, such as not having a close emotional relationship with their family, becoming victims of marital conflict, experiencing separation, or losing their home, experiencing violence, bullying, and so on. If the psychological pressure experienced by children and adolescents is not treated immediately, it is possible to experience mental disorders. Some of the common mental disorders in children and adolescents include ADHD, autism, behavioral disorders, specific learning disorders, eating disorders, PTSD, mood disorders, addictions, and psychosis.
“The thing that adults around children and adolescents missing is how they (adults) accompany children and adolescents to learn from their problems,” said Wirdatul. sometimes adults just let the children and adolescents grow and develop from the problems they face, but adults forget that children and adolescents still need assistance in dealing with their problems.
Health problems and mental disorders can be overcome, by approaching and talking about how they feel, and something disturb them without judgment. “When there is a significant change in behavior in children and adolescents, so people around them need to ask questions because the behavior shown is the way children and adolescents communicate with the people around them,” explained Wirdatul.