[ad_1]
Last month, a teenager suffering from depression committed suicide. According to her counselor, the stress of being locked up at home and a bad relationship with her parents contributed to her emotional turmoil, despite the fact that she had been trying to overcome it.
The case was one of the most serious seen by counselor Megan Tang recently.
She said that with the circuit breaker measures in place to stop the spread of the coronavirus, some young people face a variety of challenges from having prolonged periods indoors.
These include a lack of personal safe space, tension at home, and self-identity problems, which become more pronounced when the youth is unable to participate in their usual activities.
The charity organization Limitless, which helps young people with mental health problems, has seen increased demand for help, with each of its four full-time employees treating more than 50 cases last month, from 30 to 40 a month. earlier, said Ms. Tang.
Touchline, a youth-related helpline led by Touch Integrated Family Group, received 52 calls in the past two months, more than 31 in the same period last year.
Touch’s chief counselor, Shawn Soh, said there were calls from parents with concerns about their kids’ cyber wellness and overuse of devices, as well as anxiety and depression among young people.
Fei Yue Community Services’ online counseling service, eC2.sg, also saw an increase in chat sessions, from 139 in March to 193 last month, said chief of youth services Wong Ying Li.
Many callers are young people with anxiety, although the service is now open to anyone who needs help in the midst of the pandemic.
Some of the young people are afraid of contracting the virus and passing it on to their families.
“Some are also learning how to cope with staying home and dealing with complex and existing family relationships, now that they are more confined to the home,” said Ms. Wong.
“They may feel bored, but they may soon feel depressed or stuck and ask for more clarity and a definitive perspective on the evolving situation. Some may resort to alternative but dangerous or negative ways to deal with or manage.”
Ms. Tang said that one way parents can help is to try to impose some form of normality and be less demanding of young people on school work. Parents should not see being more flexible as giving in to their children, but as developing a new relationship in unprecedented times, he added.
They should also be open to the idea of their children seeking professional help for mental health problems.
Soh said young people can resort to forms of self-care, such as deep breathing or relaxation exercises, talking to friends frequently, or even taking a hot shower.
“It is important to provide young people with the necessary mental health support during this period. If they can cope better, it will teach them to be more resilient and to have a higher level of perseverance and resistance in the future,” he added.
[ad_2]
