Demystifying Mental Health in Children and Young Adults – an interview with Joanna Adrakta

May was Mental Health Awareness Month, which created the opportunity to talk, raise awareness and reduce the stigma around mental health disorders. According to UNICEF, 9 million young people in Europe, aged 10 to 19, are living with mental disorders. Anxiety and depression count for more than half of the cases. The Covid-19 pandemic and all the restrictions it created, namely the lockdowns, put the mental health and well-being of children and young people even more at risk, since it didn’t allow them to go to school and socialize. Moreover, the Covid-19 led to an overuse of social media and other digital platforms, which can pose an increased risk to mental health.  

It is essential to underline that mental health problems are not different from other types of health problems and, as such, there are always treatments to tackle them. For this, it is extremely important to seek help and to understand that you are not alone. To honour this month, we talked with Joanna Adrakta, a psychologist from Melissi who specializes in Parents and Child Counselling and Child Development and Learning, about mental health, especially the mental health of children and young adults.

As a psychologist, you deal a lot with mental health issues. I think we all recognize that there is a stigma associated with mental health conditions. Why do you think that is?

I believe that stigma arises because there is a lack of understanding of mental illness (ignorance, misinformation), and because some people have negative believes towards it. We should be able to freely communicate our feelings and problems, but instead we find difficult to have an open and transparent conservation about how we feel. There is also still a misconception that depression and anxiety, for example, is something that arises from the family and, therefore, there is something wrong with the family of the person who suffers with these issues. Moreover, mental health is neglected by the health system. Mental health issues, such as depression or anxiety, aren’t always taken seriously and the hospitals or other facilities don’t have the necessary quality to take care of patients.

Nevertheless, there are some steps we can take to fight this stigma: firstly, we must know the facts and educate ourselves, be aware of our attitudes and behaviours, choose the words we use carefully, to not make the other feel bad or ashamed, and focus on the positive. It is also essential to educate others, support people and include everyone.

How can we promote wellbeing and tackle the causes of mental health problems?

We should support local living environments that enable health and well-being. Promote safer, healthier and better lives by doing simples things like connecting with people – in fact, good relations are extremely important to tackle the causes of mental health problems. Moreover, we need to be active, both physically and mentally. We have to go outside, do some activities we enjoy and have the space to learn new skills. Another very important thing I recommend is mindfulness. We must pay attention to the present moment and make opportunities to be take care of ourselves, in connection with others.

What are some typical ‘bad habits’, that we have while in school or at work, that are detrimental to mental health?

We have a lot of bad habits that detriment our mental health, such as excessive working hours, stress and lack of physical activity. In schools, we particularly see that students have way too much information to study, and spend a lot of time doing it. Moreover, in some schools, children aren’t even allowed to play sports, like basketball or football, during the breaks, because it “might be dangerous”. Another bad habit that’s extremely common and unhealthy it’s too much screen time.  

And speaking about the screen time, do you think technology, especially social media, impacts our mental health? If so, why?

Yes, mainly in a negative way! Multiple studies have found a strong link between heavy social media use and an increased risk for depression, anxiety, loneliness, self-harm and even suicidal thoughts. Social media may promote a negative experience about life or physical appearance, since it usually shows unrealistic views of other people’s lives and, consciously or unconsciously, we begin to compare our lives with the lives we see online – “why is he/she always traveling and I am not? Why does he/she have a better life than me? Why is he/she happier than me?”

In addition, social media disrupts peoples, and especially children and young adults, sleeping schedules, and exposes them to bullying and peer pressure. Let’s not forget about those Tik Tok challenges that make kids harm themselves and, in extreme cases, commit suicide.

Speaking more specifically about children and young adults, what are the risk factors for developing depression in childhood or adolescence?

Inconsistent parenting is a big risk factor, especially if associated with alcohol or drug abuse or with a parental mental illness. Furthermore, stressful life experiences, like poverty, war and even the pandemic, which was an erratic and traumatic time, in particular for children and young adults, as it disrupted their entire life routine, are serious risk factors. These increase a negative way of viewing the world and make children and adolescent even more susceptible to mental health issues, such as depression or anxiety. Moreover, we see children who have been neglected by their parents, either in an emotional or physical way, and are suffering from trauma. There is a phenomenon, called insecure attachment parenting, that happens when a child perceives that his or her needs are not met, so he or she is not able to build a secure and stable bond with the caregivers.

There is also the alcohol and drug use factor. In fact, this can create a vicious cycle where depression leads to alcohol and drug use, which leads to a more depressing state, which leads to more alcohol and drugs, and so on.

What are the symptoms that teachers and even the classmates should be looking for in the classroom, and how can they be supportive of students with depression or anxiety?

The teachers should be especially attentive to that lonely student, the one that doesn’t talk, doesn’t communicate either with the lectures or with the other classmates. Moreover, they really need to look at the student’s physical appearance (if he or she is clean, the clothes aren’t dirty, they are healthy), in order to understand if they are being taken care of by their family. Another important advice I leave to teachers is: look for marks. This is incredibly significant to make sure that 1) the family of the child or adolescent is not abusive or 2) the child or adolescent is not hurting himself.

Teacher should offer the opportunity for open dialogue. They should talk about mental health in a normal way, not stigmatizing the condition, and making sure that the students know that it’s okay if they are struggling, and it’s okay to ask for help. Sadly, the school system doesn’t focus on soft skills, emotional intelligence or social skills, and there are no psychologists available for the kids to talk to (or, when there are, it’s one phycologist for the entire school population).

How should a student go about seeking help with their mental health if they are struggling or suspect a serious problem arising?

The first thing a student, or anyone in general, should do when they are struggling is talk with their parents or family members. If that route is not open, the students should talk with their teachers or other adults they trust. It’s very important that you don’t google your symptoms or ask for help on the internet. This is not a reliable source of help and it might make you even more scared.

While we were researching for this article, we found some stories that brought tears into our eyes. We encountered stories about teenagers who were in such a state of depression that they couldn’t sleep or have a functioning life anymore. The teens were taking antihistamines and drugs to sleep, they had bulimic episodes, were hurting themselves. And the parents didn’t notice it. These stories made us think about time. How much time we spend with the other and how much real attention we give to the other. It also reiterated the need for empathy. We must empathize with the others and ourselves, and truly be attentive to what other people are feeling and to what we are feeling. It’s important not to push feelings aside, not to ignore them, otherwise we will be consumed by our negative thoughts. 

It is also essential for people to understand that going to a psychologist is a very natural thing to do. There is no reason to feel shy or ashamed to turn to specialists. Moreover, psychologists aren’t just there when things are falling apart – you can consult a specialist whenever you feel the need to improve yourself, your relationship with others, or simply feel the need to talk. As you should do regular health check-ups with your doctor, you should give the same importance to your mental health, and regularly consult a specialist.