Think of a newly designed car with a very modern and elegant shape. Imagine that the accelerator is well made but the braking system is not complete. The minds of teenagers are really the same.
It is an age where impulse control is not yet fully developed, although it is energetic, resourceful, creative and fast-forward. Therefore, it is our duty as adults to be constantly aware of the behaviour of children of this age and the common mental problems that may occur.
So in this article, we will first identify the adolescent age group.
The age limit between 10 and 19 years belongs to adolescents.
Some of the common mental problems seen among children of this age include engaging in risky activities, stress, social phobia, undue fear of exams, excessive use of electronic screens, drug addiction, and especially self-harm. It is very important to identify these problems first and get them treated quickly. This is because adolescence is the most important transition period in life, the period of critical educational and professional milestones.
Let’s see how to identify these problems. What characteristics can be seen in such children? About the services and treatments available to them.
The frontal part of the brain (Prefrontal cortex) is not fully developed in adolescent children. This part performs complex mental functions such as impulse control, sound judgment and decision-making.
Full development of this part can occur up to the age of 25. But other parts of the brain, such as the amygdala, which is responsible for emotions and impulses, have developed earlier. Also, due to the effect of hormones that lower the secondary sexual characteristics of the body and their effects, children of this age may resort to risky activities.
Especially experimenting with drugs, resorting to various inappropriate unsafe sex activities, and resorting to violent behaviour are other problematic situations that can be seen at this age. It may even lead to life-threatening experiments. For example, we heard time and time again about teenage students losing their lives by going swimming in unsafe places.
In such cases, many decisions are made impulsively at the last minute, so it is important to discuss these situations with the children beforehand to avoid such situations. Discuss with the children about the possible behaviours and their pros and cons in such a situation and about the undesirable consequences of experimenting with drugs etc. Listen to their opinions. Be a role model for them as parents and adults. Because children also learn through imitation of certain behaviours.
It will help the child to manage the relevant situations in an emergency by teaching children the proper methods of solving problems from an early age. If possible, it is very important to collect children’s opinions in order to solve the problems of your daily life.
Some children can behave excessively impulsively due to mental illnesses and personality development problems such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), which shows hyperactivity and impulsivity since childhood. Therefore, if a child’s risky behaviour causes them other problems, it is very important to seek psychiatric advice immediately.
During the last covid season, with the compulsory online studies of children, there is a trend of teenagers becoming addicted to the electronic screen. Addiction to electronic screens can lead to insomnia, eye problems, obesity and possible physical and mental complications. Violent behaviour, disengagement from education, and breakdown of family and other social relationships are some of them. Are you aware of the signs that your child may be addicted to electronic screens and media?
The gradual increase in time spent with electronic media and social media may lead to the urge to lie when asked about it, and to avoid other activities (sports, arts) that children previously enjoyed. If you try to stop using the internet and social media and become irritable, sad, and overly anxious, your child may be addicted to electronic screens. In such a case, you should immediately refer your child to a psychiatric clinic.
Thus, some measures can be taken from the beginning to prevent children from becoming addicted to electronic screens. By setting limits/rules regarding the time children use electronic screens in a day, not allowing the use of electronic screens while sleeping or eating, and placing electronic screens where everyone in the family can see them, parents should also be aware of electronic media/social media networks and their behaviour as much as possible. There are several possible courses of action to be supervised.
Children should always be taught how to use technology tools responsibly. Children should be regularly discussed not to connect with strangers on social media and not to share personal information, photos or videos with them.
Stress
Being unable to solve the challenges and problems that children face can cause stress in teenagers. Children of this age may be constantly under stress due to various factors such as breakups in love relationships, facing competitive exams, not getting enough physical and mental freedom, frequent ridicule or harassment (bullying), family disputes, economic problems, etc.
Common characteristics that can identify stressed children
Unusually high irritability, insomnia, changes in appetite, frequent headaches that do not go away despite treatment, physical discomfort, failure in school performance, and urges to self-harm are common symptoms. If there are such characteristics, discuss the problem amicably with such children and give them the opportunity to explain their problem. But never force them. Allow them to express themselves without influence, with you or someone you trust. In those cases, listen to them in a way that doesn’t hurt their privacy, without judging them suddenly. Help them solve their problem. This can prevent mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety that may occur in the child.
Depression affects between 3%-8% of teenagers. Depression can be caused by genetics and various psychosocial challenges and stress. Depression can be characterized by extreme sadness or anger lasting more than two weeks, withdrawal from activities that used to bring pleasure, excessive physical fatigue, tendency to spend more time alone, sleep problems, low self-esteem, disruption of academic performance, and sometimes Symptoms can range from suicidal ideation.
If a child has these symptoms, refer the child to a psychiatric clinic without delay. There, a well-trained doctor will examine the child and provide counselling or even medication if necessary. This can prevent disruptions in education as well as suicides.
Skipping exams due to undue fear of appearing in exams is another psychological problem seen in children of this age. Problems can also be seen in this situation due to forgetting the things studied at the time of the exam, continuous reduction of marks despite studying, and various physical discomforts arising when thinking about the exam or facing the exam. These conditions can be successfully treated through psychological counselling services. Therefore, it is very important to refer the child to a psychiatric clinic as soon as possible without allowing the examinations to be missed.
Children of this age are naturally inclined to think that they are special and that their experiences are different from others. There they always believe that others are watching over them. Cares about what others think of them. Some children are shy by nature.
But if this shyness and excessive fear of being criticized by others interferes with daily life and affects school work, it may be a symptom of social phobia. In this disease state, he will avoid coming in front of a group of people, talking, and avoiding those situations. This is also a condition that can be successfully overcome by psychotherapy or medication. If you have such a child, refer him to the nearest psychiatric clinic immediately.