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‘Watch children’s mental health during pandemic’

10 Jun 2021

  • Paediatrician stresses importance of parents’ role

By Dinitha Rathnayake   Helping children cope mentally during the Covid-19 pandemic is essential, especially if one is a parent, Sri Jayewardenepura University Professor and Paediatrician Guwani Liyanage. Speaking to the media yesterday (9), she said that this year has been extra stressful, especially due to the pandemic, and that it is therefore normal and entirely understandable if throughout the pandemic one is feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, worried, or exhausted about the situation. “But, we should understand that our child is going through the same stressful situation or perhaps worse, since they have to be at home all the time without going to school. Therefore, during this period, taking care of your child’s mental health is really important. They also feel frustrated, worried, or exhausted about the situation, and hence, we need to support them as parents to build a positive environment,” she noted. Since parents are exhausted, they may try to excessively punish or scold children, which is not healthy, she explained. “Talk with them about what’s going on, and keep communication lines as open as one can. Let them know that it’s okay to feel whatever they feel. Also, if they have Covid-19 symptoms, it is important to go to a hospital. Some parents are afraid to take their child to the hospital, as they have the impression that they might be separated from their child. This will not happen, as one parent can stay with the child even if he or she is Covid-19 positive,” Prof. Liyanage stressed. Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Department of Mental Health released a series of messages that can be used in communications to support mental and psycho-social well being for the care of children during the outbreak. Helping children find positive ways to express feelings such as fear and sadness; keeping children close to their parents and family; maintaining familiar routines in daily life as much as possible, or creating new routines, especially if children must stay at home; discussing Covid-19 with one’s children in a honest and age-appropriate way; and if one’s children have concerns, addressing them together may ease their anxiety, were the main points highlighted by the WHO.


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