Sinhgad College Of Nursing

Article

Auther : Mr. Hanuman R. Bishnoi
Lecturer Sinhgad College of Nursing Pune

Title : Adolesecnce Mental Health: A Parents Perspective

Abstract : The World Health Organization defines young people as those between the ages of 10 and 24 years. This age group is composed of two overlapping subgroups, namely adolescents (aged 10-19) and youth (aged 15- 24). The Planning Commission of India estimates that as on March2000, adolescents aged 10-19 comprised 23% of the Indian population, i.e. almost 230 million. Such a large group represents a major human resource that can and must contribute to the overall development of the country.

This period of life is a transitional period of development that is foundational but also a range of health habits that influence adult behavior and may influence medical diseases in adulthood. Specifically, adolescent development and behaviors set the stage for adult behavior in terms of use of substances and dietary habits and can have an impact on the development and outcome of medical illnesses.

In spite of definite health problems they may have, it is a common observation that adolescents do not access the existing health services. In India there have not been any designated health services for this age group so far, leading to substantial unmet service needs. Absence of friendly staff, working hours that are inconvenient to adolescents and lack of privacy and confidentiality have been identified as important barriers in accessing health services by adolescents and young people. The health sector needs to respond by offering services to adolescents in a friendly manner and in a nonthreatening environment.

Adolescents are considered to be healthy since mortality in this age group is relatively low. However, mortality is a misleading measure of adolescent health. In fact, the adolescents do have a range of health problems that cause a lot of morbidity as well as definite mortality. The most prominent health issues in developing countries are Malnutrition and Anemia, Adolescent pregnancy with attendant complicationsand a higher maternal mortality and infant mortality, STIs including HIV - about 35 % new infections of HIV occur in 15-24 years age, Substance use, Depression, Suicide, Injuries and Violence.

Parents can have a really tough time watching their child experience the adolescent phase of the life-cycle. After all, having spent eleven or twelve years establishing boundaries of appropriate and inappropriate behavior and instilling values and beliefs in their child, one day it will seem that all they have taught them has gone completely 'out of the window'. The child that the parent has come to know just suddenly changes - almost at the flick-of-a-switch, it is almost as if the adolescent child has an internal lightswitch that is turned 'on' and 'off' for no apparent reason. The most difficult part for parents is that it is just as unpredictable to work out when or why their child's switch is flicked into 'on' [adolescent] mode, as it is to know when or why the switch is flicked back into 'off' [child] mode. (Marlow E.2001)

Parents may feel as if they have absolutely no control and are losing the child that they once knew. This is not an uncommon experience, given that all adolescents have to separate from their 'child' if they are to become 'adult'. Unfortunately for parents and adolescents, this does not happen overnight.

Mental health is an essential component of young peoples' overall health and wellbeing. It affects how young people think, feel, and act; their ability to learn and engage in relationships; their self-esteem and ability to evaluate situations, options and make choices. A person's mental health influences their ability to handle stress, relate to other people, and make decisions.

When young people's mental health problems go untreated, they can affect their development, school performance and relationships. The state of their mental health affects how they view themselves and others, how they evaluate and react to situations, and whatchoices they make and actions they take. Because mental health problems can affect a young person's judgment, in the rare case, emotional disturbances and mental disorders can be a risk factor for violence.

Communication gap exists between parents and adolescents. In modern days families because of change in lifestyle and social system (working parents and nuclear families) resulting into the psycho-socio problems of adjustment and mental deviation. So there is a need to educate parents regarding health care needs of adolescence to promote their healthy development and brighter future.

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