Concerned that ten year olds were attempting suicide in T&T, secretary of the Association of Psychiatrists of T&T, Dr Varma Deyalsingh, yesterday called on parents to be more vigilant in observing suicidal traits in their children.
Speaking at the launch of a health fair at the Pleasantville Community Centre yesterday, Deyalsingh said the increase in child depression was frightening.
“We have ten year olds attempting to kill themselves. That is frightening to know,” he said.
Saying there was “a tsunami of depression with a startling figure of 300 million people including children diagnosed with depression,” Deyalsingh added, “Many times warning signs go unnoticed by parents or guardians. Parents need to look out for the warning signs which are: problems with sleep, irritability, not eating well, change in appetite , social isolation. These are the signs your child is crying out for help.” Calling for an increase in mental health awareness, Deyalsingh added, “Depression in children is also linked to aggressive parental behaviours and homes where children are sexually abused.”
He noted that “depression is coming closer and closer to our teens and right now from ages 15 to 29 year olds this group is also the second highest cause of death in suicides, so you need to look out for the signs of depression.”
Saying the latest statistics were even frightening to the psychiatric world, Deyalsingh said when parents detect symptoms linked to depression in children they must seek immediate help.
“Such help is available through the Student Support Services in schools or clinics. It is easier to take a child and fix that child rather than an adult who is depressed and already broken, so we need to act now. We need to go into schools and recognise these children,” Deyalsingh added.
He also suggested the hosting of talk shops to sensitise people about mental illness as he said people are now ashamed to visit psychiatric clinics because of the stigma attached to them. “When you look at mental illness, depression is very high world wide. People are getting depressed and they are not coming into the clinics so we are underutilised,” he noted.
Meanwhile, MP for San Fernando East Randall Mitchell said T&T was already facing the pressure of lifestyle diseases. “In T&T we are grappling with the heavy burden of lifestyle diseases, heart diseases, stress and mental disease. We want to bring people together to understand the impact this is having on us economically and how it impacts on our productivity,” Mitchell said.
Constituents were given basic medical screening including blood sugar, HIV testing, cancer support and psychiatric testing.
