Mental health of children

I congratulate Saima Wazed Hossain for her article titled "School psychologists and mental health of children and youth" published in TDS on September 3. Thanks to the author for shedding light on a very real problem faced by our country's children and youth. While mental health in general does not get the attention it deserves due to lack of awareness, there is also a complete denial of the mental illness of children. 

We fail to recognise that children are also affected by various kinds of stress -- in the family, society and schools -- which have far-reaching repercussions in life. They need to be handled carefully by parents and teachers. Children's behaviour has to be understood and analysed from the right perspective and dealt with accordingly. In the absence of proper handling, innumerable children are dropping out of school, suffering from anxiety and depression, taking up subjects against their will and even committing suicide. I would like to suggest that interactive programmes on mental health be introduced on radio and TV. 

Shahjahan Hafiz
Gulshan, Dhaka