Abuse and sexual violence during childhood have devastating effects on mental, emotional and physical health (Illustrative Image Infobae)
Children face various challenges in terms of mental health, and although some have gained more attention in recent years, we still have a long way to go to achieve short- and long-term well-being.
Many mental health problems begin in childhood. Without treatment and specific coping plans and measures for their care, these mental health disorders can prevent children from reaching their full potential and living a life full of difficulties and visits to health services. An overwhelming majority of adults who seek mental health treatment say that the impact of the psychological problems they suffered in their childhood would not have increased if they had received help in time.
Some figures:
– It is estimated that more than 13% of adolescents between 10 and 19 years old suffer from a diagnosed mental disorder, according to the World Health Organization.
– This represents 86 million adolescents from 15 to 19 years old and 80 million boys and girls from 10 to 14 years old.
Bullying and cyberbullying are alarming realities that negatively impact children’s mental health, creating an environment of fear and anxiety that can have lasting consequences on their emotional development.
– 89 million male adolescents ages 10 to 19 and 77 million female adolescents ages 10 to 19 live with a mental disorder.
Anxiety and depression, which are disorders that reveal deep problems, represent around 40% of these diagnosed mental health disorders; the others include conduct disorder, disability, eating disorders, psychosis, and a group of personality disorders. Children and young people also manifest psychosocial discomfort that does not reach the level of epidemiological disorder, but that disturbs their life, their health and their future prospects.
The disorders that must gain greater attention to achieve adequate treatment and thus the current and future well-being of children and adolescents are:
1. Anxiety disorders, depression and depressive states: these are the most common clinical consultations in health centers and especially in psychological clinics. Children experience anxiety due to factors such as family problems, academic stress, social pressure and violence. Anxiety and depression disorders represent a significant challenge in childhood, affecting their ability to enjoy life and reach their potential.
Likewise, they may feel sad and depressed, states that manifest themselves as irritability, changes in sleeping or eating patterns, and loss of interest in activities they previously enjoyed.
2. Bullying and cyberbullying: whether at school or online, bullying has a devastating impact on the mental health of children and adolescents, generating anxiety, depression and can even lead to suicidal ideation and suicide. Without the possibility of recovery in adult life, these problems torment like an unstoppable echo. The intervention of organizations in the work in schools to offer comprehensive programs in the construction of pacifist subjectivities and conflict resolution is urgent.
3. Eating disorders: according to the World Health Organization (WHO), these present as abnormal eating behaviors, accompanied by a distortion in the perception of body image, excessive concern about weight and food. These persistent eating behaviors can affect and deteriorate the physical and mental health and psychosocial functioning of those who suffer from them and, in extreme cases, can lead to death, the most frequent causes being suicide or malnutrition. Eating disorders in childhood indicate deep problems in the perception of body image and self-esteem, which requires a multidisciplinary approach for treatment.
4. Abuse and sexual violence: they are two extreme forms of abuse that have devastating effects on the mental, emotional and physical health of the victims. In the context of childhood, these problems have a long-term impact on development. Abuse can take many forms, including physical abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, etc. Physical abuse can cause lasting physical and emotional injuries, while emotional abuse can affect a child’s self-esteem and emotional development for life.
Sexual violence, in all its manifestations, against children is a very serious problem. These events have a profound and lasting effect on the victim’s mental health, including post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, and difficulties in interpersonal relationships. In both cases, survivors often face difficulties trusting others, self-esteem problems, anxiety disorders, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Trauma experienced in childhood can have long-term effects on mental and emotional health, as well as overall well-being throughout life.
Insufficient legislation and the absence of public policies to eradicate violence against children make the problem worse and very harmful practices become natural. Bullying and cyberbullying can lead to problems such as anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation.
5. Grief and losses in childhood: these manifest themselves in different ways than they do in adults. The way children experience and express grief can vary depending on their age, their cognitive and emotional development, and their previous experience with loss. This special situation of vulnerability is usually overlooked by adults due to a certain social belief that children can endure anything or that losses do not hurt them as much. It is quite the opposite, in these moments of fragility is when boys and girls They need more support.
In cases of violent deaths, such as femicides, in Argentina, according to the Femicide Observatory of the National Ombudsman’s Office, 163 girls and boys were registered who were left without their mothers, until November 15, 2023. The reality for orphans is much more brutal because the loss refers to a mother murdered in most cases by the parent or by someone who fulfilled a paternal function. Also, in a large number of cases, these children witness the murder. The mental health of boys and girls orphaned by femicide requires immediate assistance and there are still no programs aimed at their recovery. Children and adolescents with disabilities face daily challenges in their social interaction and communication, which affects their mental health and underlines the need for inclusion and support policies.
6. Migrant minors: millions of boys, girls, and adolescents from Latin America and the Caribbean are in transit because they have had to leave their homes and communities forced by the conditions they face in their countries of origin. Poverty, lack of essential services, armed violence, among others, mean that they must migrate with their families. These trips and precarious settlements, when they manage to reach their destination, entail psychophysical risks with devastating consequences on their mental health.
7. Children and adolescents with disabilities: both they and their families face daily challenges in terms of social interaction, communication and behavior, discrimination, obstacles of various kinds and insufficient legislation and public policies for protection and protection, and this affects your mental health.
In 2021, for the first time in its history, the State of the World‘s Children examined mental health, focusing special attention on risk and protective factors present in the home, school and community. The report, called “In my mind. Promote, protect and care for children’s mental health“, 2021, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), maintains that we have a unique and unique opportunity to promote good mental health for babies, boys and girls, and adolescents.
Children’s mental health is fundamental for the development of children and adolescents, and it is crucial to address mental disorders from an early stage to prevent long-term consequences.
We need to put on the agenda the need to protect vulnerable children and care for those who face the greatest challenges. Understand that mental health is of vital importance from the moment we are born and that not addressing it produces devastating effects for individuals, families and communities. Furthermore, the financial costs of not addressing mental health problems – those resulting from inaction or ineffectiveness – are equally destructive.
We need urgent investment in the mental health of children and adolescents in all sectors to be able to achieve interventions in each area, family, health, education and social protection.
As a society we must break the silence and stigma surrounding mental health, promoting understanding and empathy and taking the experiences and stories of children and adolescents seriously.
* Sonia Almada: has a degree in Psychology from the University of Buenos Aires. International Master in Human Rights for women and children, gender and domestic violence (UNESCO). She specialized in childhood and youth in Latin America (CLACSO). In 2003, she founded the civil association Aralma, which promotes actions to eradicate all types of violence against children, youth and families. She is the author of three books: The Frayed Girl, I Like the Way I Am, and The Girl in the Bell Tower.