Dr. Abdelhamid Afana. Pic: Salim Matramkot / The Peninsula
The General behaviour changes in children should not be pathologised and considered as a disorder, says an expert.
A child may have behavioural changes including general anxiety due to the change from home to school environment after long summer break or due to incidents like bullying and it should be treated as normal not as pathological cases, said Dr. Abdelhamid Afana, Senior Clinical Psychologist and Psychotherapist at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) yesterday.
“Symptoms like change in appetite, sleeping pattern of the child or getting easily provoked are normal behaviours. Showing less interest in going to school is not an illness. We should not medicalise or consider as a disorder the normal actions of children,” he said talking to media persons yesterday.
A child needs to be observed for two to three weeks and if the symptoms persist, one should get help or go to a specialist, Dr. Afana added.
Shedding light on the importance of keeping children out of bullying, Dr. Afana said that it is a joint responsibility of parents, teachers and the wider community. He also emphasised the importance of parents having a conversation with children about their difficulties and interests at school.
“Parents should spare time for their children and listen to them. Give them proper attention and discuss issues. If they notice any changes in the child, they should take care, talk to the child and listen to their problems. If children make mistakes, present with behavioural changes or show negligence teachers should approach children in a polite way and find the correct reason behind the child’s behaviour,” said Dr. Afana.
Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behaviour among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behaviour is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated over time. There are many warning signs that may indicate that someone is affected by bullying. It can include low self-esteem, start to have psychosomatic symptoms such as anxiety, depression, mood swings, frequent headaches, stomach pain, refusing to go to school without proper reasons.
“The symptoms presented in children effected by bullying can be similar to anxiety and depression. But it shouldn’t be considered as a disorder unless the behaviour in children continue,” said Dr. Afana.
To recall, HMC provides services in psycho therapy, counselling and interventions for parents and children who need professional advice and support.
