A rash of new research studies indicate that natural, holistic therapies are especially suitable for reducing stress and improving the emotional resilience and self-esteem of children writes Ramiya Sakthivel, Mini P. & Cynthia John A silver lining of the Covid-19 pandemic is that it brought the issue of children’s mental health and well-being into national focus. As children struggled to cope with lockdown of schools, socialisation restrictions and family health and financial emergencies, they suffered substantial emotional and mental damage. In the post-pandemic era, this has manifested by way of socialisation skills deficiency, irritability, anxiety, anger management, fear, depression and digital addiction. Several studies have reported widespread deterioration in children’s mental well-being. For instance, a 2021 Unicef survey found that 14 percent of 15-24-year-olds in India are deeply depressed. With public education and health having been criminally neglected for decades in post-independence India’s ill-designed centrally planned national development effort, the pandemic accentuated the impact on children’s mental health, and health and wellness experts are warning about a brewing full-blown child mental health crisis. A World Health Organisation (WHO) report released in 2017 reported that 25 percent of adolescents in India in the 13-15 age group suffer depression. According to the report, 11 percent of adolescents countrywide are “distracted”; 8 percent are anxious and suffer sleep disorder; 8 percent experience loneliness most of the time; and 10 percent are unable to forge friendships. According to another survey conducted in 2019 by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, 30 percent of Indian children aged 13-17 years are stressed. “India like many countries in the world is confronted with a child mental health crisis accentuated by the pandemic. Stress levels among children are high with a growing number also reporting anxiety disorders, depression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity, oppositional defiant, and post-traumatic stress disorders. It’s important for parents and educators to acknowledge this crisis and take preventive and corrective measures,” warns Dr. Keerthi Karanam, consultant, psychiatry, CARE Hospitals, Hyderabad. With Gen Z’s mental well-being becoming a high priority post-pandemic issue, parents — even if not public officials — are increasingly acknowledging the importance of addressing mental health problems swiftly and professionally before their children withdraw into social media. Moreover, while they are becoming aware that latter-day psychological therapies are available to treat mental health disorders, a small but growing number of them are choosing to opt for natural therapies to address anxiety, depression and related disorders, to alleviate stress and boost the overall emotional well-being of children. Natural therapies include art, animal-assisted, journal, nature and talk curatives. A rash of new research studies indicate that natural, holistic therapies are especially suitable for reducing stress and improving the emotional resilience and self-esteem of children. In the pages following, we present four natural therapies that are becoming popular to alleviate children’s stress and promote their emotional and mental well-being. Art therapy Art therapy is all about getting children involved with creative activities such as drawing, painting, doodling and sculpture to enable them to express their…
