Children's Mental Health Is Disturbed If At Home, Prevent It With Good Relationships

Children's Mental Health Needs To Be Careful (Photo: Pixabay)

JAKARTA - During the pandemic, children are always asked to stay at home. Children's needs to play freely outside, move freely, and socialize are not met. This can make children's mental health disturbed.

Child and adolescent psychologist Vera Itabiliana Hadiwidjojo from the Institute of Applied Psychology at the University of Indonesia appealed to parents not only to focus on their child's physical health but also to pay attention to their child's mental health in the midst of a pandemic.

"This pandemic, many children's needs cannot be fully met, such as the need to play freely outside, move freely and socialize," Vera said as quoted by ANTARA, Saturday, September 11.

She explains that this can cause children to feel pressured and feel powerless to change things. Especially if the demands from school and family are felt to be getting heavier.

"Both of them are equal and play an equally important role for children's growth and development. If the child is physically ill, we immediately take him to the doctor. It should be the same when the child looks mentally disturbed," said Vera.

To prevent this, parents must be able to build relationships with their children, which is the most important thing parents should do to maintain their children's mental health, as said psychologist Annelia Sari Sani, S.Psi from the Psychology Clinic of RSAB Harapan Kita and Petak Pintar. The number one mentality is relationships," said Annelia.

Annelia said parents should try to get to know their children and find out how their emotional development, social development and cognitive development of children.​​"Parents must understand how far their child's development is. Is it mature or not," explained Annelia.

Annelia further explained, parents will be able to maintain their children's mental health if they can build good relationships. However, this is not just inviting children to communicate. Annelia said that the quality of the conversation with children also needs to be considered.

"All of that can only happen if the relationship is good. The meaning here is not just 'oh my son I talk to you every night, how come, what kind of conversation? Is there quality or not," added Annelia.​ By inviting children to communicate and build relationships good, parents will be able to understand more about the child's mood. Because, Annelia explained that the root of the problem of depression is a mood disorder experienced by children.​However, Annelia urges parents not to immediately diagnose children with depression. To diagnose a child experiencing depression, it is necessary to consult with an expert first. In addition, the way to be able to provide support to children who are experiencing depression will also be different.

"We can't really generalize this. Case by case, there are actually different forms of support," said Annelia.

Psychologist Muthmainah Mufidah from the University of Indonesia said that loving children for who they are is also one of the important things to maintain a child's mental health.​​ "Our job as parents is to love children as they are and guide them so that they become better. So when children are having difficulties , whatever the condition, show that we really love him and want to help him feel better," said Mufidah.

However, if parents do not understand about mental health problems, he urges parents not to hesitate to seek professional help.