More kids suffer mental illness

Children play sport and use different skills to keep them mentally and physically well.—VNA/VNS Photo The Anh

Children play sport and use different skills to keep them mentally and physically well.—VNA/VNS Photo The Anh
HCM CITY — More and more children and teenagers are being brought to hospitals in HCM City with mental disorders caused by parental pressure to perform well at school and other family-related stress factors, according to doctors.

The HCM City Mental Hospital receives nearly 1,000 such children suffering every month.

Asst Prof Dr Nguyen Hoi Loan of the Ha Noi Social Sciences and Humanities University said children's mental disorders were caused by the heavy academic workload, especially at the secondary and high-school levels, and teachers forcing them to cram.

Do Thi Le Hang of the Institute of Psychology said studying without a break to relax also caused stress and made them susceptible to mental disorders.

The pressure became even more severe to get through university entrance exams, she said.

Other factors that make the children vulnerable to mental disorders are their parents getting divorced and quarrelling with each other.

Mental disorders were also a cause of suicide among children and teenagers, doctors said.

On February 17, Pediatric Hospital No 1's Emergency and Recovery Ward received a 13-year-old patient who was in serious condition after consuming eight painkillers.

The patient, who recovered two days later, said he had been distraught and took the pills on his friend's advice.

The HCM City Pediatric Hospital No 1 and 2 admit 40-60 children who attempt suicide every year.

Dr Thai Thanh Thuy, head of the psychiatry ward at Pediatric Hospital No 2, said most parents failed to find out their children's mental disorder in time or treat it.

Meanwhile, there were 35 suicide cases, mostly among youngsters, in Vinh Long and Quang Tri provinces and Can Tho, Da Nang and Ha Noi cities from February 13 to 23, initial reports from the hospitals said.

Vinh Long Province's General Hospital and Can Tho City's General Hospital dealt with 31 cases. Most of the suicide cases were young people who had used pesticides to kill themselves. Reasons given for their actions included gambling losses and relationship issues.

A 20-year-old man killed himself by jumping into Hieu River in Quang Tri Province on February 21.

Two days later, a 11th grade student committed suicide by jumping off a bridge in the province. On the same day, a young girl committed suicide by jumping into the Hong (Red) River in Ha Noi.

Doctor of Psychology Nguyen Kim Quy said people from 13 to 20 years old often adopted a psychological trait called "self-mortification" when overcoming troubles or disappointment in their lives; the highest form of which is killing themselves.

"Young people in part lack skills to face and cope with failures and difficulties life throws at us," she said.

"If they are equipped with adequate living skills, they should be able to find an alternative solution which will not end up with them hurting themselves." — VNS