How many times a year do you take your child to a psychological therapy session? Specialists state that the answer should be as often as you take them to the dentist or paediatrician; however, most parents think it is only necessary when they manifest serious issues.
The truth is that public health is at a critical point regarding mental health and it is even worse for children and young people; the World Health Organization (WHO) has pointed out that at least 1 out of 7 people under the age of 20 have a mental disorder, and the most common are depression, anxiety, autism and eating disorders.
The underlying problem is that nowadays few parents are truly keeping a close eye on their children, with the very fast pace of life, stress and pressures, they hardly take notice of the warning signs, matters such as significant weight changes and changes in eating habits, lack of interest in activities, problems to integrate in social circles and not having a normal development.
Olmo Cuarón, a paediatrician dedicated to mental disorders in children and young people, states that it is very important for parents to notice when things are not going well and that they shouldn’t assume that their children will not go through anything because nowadays these issues affect all socioeconomic levels, religions and countries, this happens to everyone.
Also, researchers have found that there are factors that affect the youngsters more with these types of problems, such as pollution, living in highly populated cities, too much stress, social and academic pressure, and even having poor eating habits and intaking too much junk food that alters the brain chemistry.
Olmo Cuarón talks about suicide as one of the main causes of death among children and teenagers, and this is why we should not underestimate a minor who speaks up and says he or she feels upset, sad, angry, or obsessed since these are indicators of a problem that requires professional help.
Olmo Cuarón has been a paediatrician for several years and a specialist in mental health issues, especially related to autism and the like, which have given him a prominent place among doctors in Spain and has filled his schedule with parents looking for help to treat their children’s disorders.
