Even children can be stressed, making them temperamental, sad — Experts

CONTRARY to the perception of many, a consultant psychiatrist, Dr. Olatunde Ayinde says children too can be stressed, making them temperamental, angry, cut out of social interaction, and do poorly at school.

Dr. Ayinde, who spoke at the launch of a book: “Flawed” authored by Dr. Modupe Oyetade at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, said that these actions in children may be suggestive of a poor mental health and different from symptoms like headache and stomach ache which parents are conversant with in children.

Ayinde, represented by Dr. Victoria Kumekor, stated that even children are exposed to stressors such as emotional and sexual abuses which prevent them from having a good wellbeing and attaining their potential in life.

The psychiatrist, in his review of the book declared: “Flawed is a phenomenal book because it drives home points about mental health. When a child is told he is a dullard, it affects his development in school.

“Emotional abuse could be very devastating and even worse than sexual abuse but sexual abuse even after the child has passed into adulthood make, forming connections usually difficult, especially with the opposite sex.

“For the author to bring all of these mental health issues up shows that in the society damaged children become damaged adults. Children that are emotionally deprived or sexually abused become damaged adults and the cycle continues. So we have a flawed society.”

Dr. Ayinde said the society must also break the stigma against people with mental health disorders since they are treatable and one in every four persons at some point in their lives will have a mental disorder irrespective of the age, religion, ethnicity and status.

Chairman, Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Oyo State Chapter, Mr Biola Layonu, said the 40-page book for children was an affirmation that science and literature are interwoven and that literature is both therapeutic and medicinal.

Mr Layonu, represented by the association’s public relations officer, Mr. Busayo Fakunle, stated that the book was an eye-opener to the need to focus on the family and the maintenance of moral and societal standards in fighting societal challenges in homes.

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