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| Prof. Dr Abang Benett Abang Taha Head of Psychiatry Department, RIPAS Hospital Picture: Azlan Othman |
Data from the RIPAS hospital has shown that 429 children and teenagers have registered with the mental health clinic since 2005. But what we have seen is just the tip of the iceberg as many problems have been misinterpreted as discipline or other problems.
Many new cases registered at the RIPAS Hospital from 2005 to 2011 were mainly male and many mental health problems among children and adolescents were caused by internalising (troubled emotions and feelings), followed by externalising disorders (disturbed or antisocial behaviours).
Dr Abang Bennet Bin Abang Taha, Psychiatry Expert for Children and Adolescents said this in his working paper entitled 'Mental Health Disturbances among Children and Teenagers in Brunei Darussalam' yesterday at the World Mental Health Day's forum. He added, in any country, rapid development could cause the rise in emotional and attitude disturbances among children and adolescents. Criminal behaviour, misuse of drugs and attempted suicide has increased of late.
World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that mental and attitude disturbances beginning at childhood is a serious public health problem.
World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that mental and attitude disturbances beginning at childhood is a serious public health problem.
Majority of children or teenagers did not receive treatment or assistance. Emotional disturbances signs and attitude disturbances among children and adolescents are sometimes misinterpreted as lazy, mischievous or deliberately carry out something as attention seeking behaviour.
Many are not aware that children and adolescents could suffer from mental health problems which if not treated, could lead to serious psychosocial problems as family conflict, taking drugs, low self esteem and becoming wild.Mental health problems such as family conflict, taking drugs, low self esteem and becoming wild. Mental health problems could also lead them to quit school, have learning difficulties, possess attitude problems, escape from school and failed in life.
Mental health problems among children and adolescents can be divided into four categories namely externalising disorders like disturbed or antisocial behaviours, conduct disorder, oppositional defiant disorder where the rate is between 3-5 per cent, internalising disorders which is troubled emotions and feelings at the rate of 2-5 per cent, somatoform disorders which is a mixture of psychological problems and physical problems which occurs at the rate of 1-3 per cent and developmental disorders which occurs at the rate of less than 1 per cent. To date, there is no epidomology study in Brunei Darussalam on this and statistics relating to mental problem among children and teenagers is scarce.
Existing services to promote good mental health and services to treat health problems include promotion, assessment and treatment. Promotion include maternal and child health services which have assisted in enhancing mental health through immunization, breastfeeding, family planning and nutrition programmes; high standard of maternal and obstetric care as well as high standard of neonatal and general paediatric care.
Taken from:
Borneo Bulletin
http://www.borneobulletin.com.bn/sunday/news/nov27h5.htm
