- Union Health Minister Mansukh Manadaviya has proposed his idea of organizing teachers’ training on children’s mental health issues at the launch of UNICEF’s global flagship publication.
- He has explained that parents and teachers can positively participate in the coping process of children’s psychological issues.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a broad range of life challenges that have serious mental health repercussions for every age group. More than 330 million children worldwide have been stuck at home for the past one and a half years, which has put the mental well-being of those children at risk, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimated.
Teachers need to be trained on the mental health issues common among children, said Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya at the launch of UNICEF’s global flagship publication, ‘The State of the World’s Children 2021 – On My Mind: Promoting, Protecting and Caring for Children’s Mental Health.
Globally 14% of children are currently facing mental health issues, and it will have an adverse effect on society if not addressed on time, said the Union Health Minister. According to him, orientation and training classes should be organized for teachers to help them better understand various psychological issues children are experiencing during this pandemic time.
“Teachers should be adequately trained to identify subtle and not so subtle symptoms of emerging mental health issues among children and refer them to psychiatrists for treatment or counseling so that their problems can be addressed early,” he further added.
World Health Organization experts suggest that parents also can positively participate in the coping process of their children’s psychological issues. They must treat their children as friends and create a comfortable environment so that their children can talk freely. Parents can help their children cope with stress by exhibiting calm and disciplined behavior.