The COVID-19 pandemic related closure of schools, which led to changes in familiar routines and lack of socializing, has caused a disproportionally higher number of children and adolescents to experience more emotional and behavioural problems.
Hamad Medical Corporation's Mental Health Service (MHS) has enhanced its Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) offering to provide more targeted support to families during these challenging times.
The Senior Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Director for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Dr. May Jasem Almeraisi said that the CAMHS team have been receiving more calls from concerned parents since the beginning of this year linked to higher levels of stress in many families with children.
“We have noticed more parents reporting that their children are behaving more irritably and have additional common conflicts with family or friends. Some children are showing a lack of interest in activities they previously enjoyed or low interest in personal grooming. Many young people experience concentration deficiencies and generally lose interest in school-related work more quickly. Irregular sleep and eating habits often exacerbate the situation, which if left unaddressed, can lead to more serious anxiety and depression,” said Dr. Almeraisi.
“It is also important to remember that children’s well-being depends on the well-being of their parents or important caregivers. Hence these adults must find time to care for themselves so they have the emotional strength to care for others.”
“The Child and Adolescent Mental health Service (CAMHS) at Hamad Medical Corporation is a community-based service providing outpatient care to children and young people below the age of 18 years and their families. The multidisciplinary team including psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric nurses, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, dietitian and social worker, all work collaboratively to meet the wide range of needs of children, young people and their families in Qatar,” added Dr. Almeraisi
For his part, the CAMHS Psychologist Dr. Bindu Salim, explained that psychological challenges manifest differently depending on the age: “Younger children and adolescents often express emotions and behaviors differently. For example, when upset, younger children may cry or be more irritable and parents can experience difficulty in consoling them. Whereas adolescents experiencing heightened stress or anxiety may become more withdrawn and choose to spend time alone for longer periods.”
