Child and Mental Illness: A Study among Parents in Urban and Rural Areas of South Twenty Four Parganas and Howrah

Ghosh, Sanjukta., Das, Koushik (May, 2024). Child and Mental Illness: A Study among Parents in Urban and Rural Areas of South Twenty Four Parganas and Howrah. Tomorrow’s Blueprint: Exploring Environmental, Financial, Socio-Economics and Technological Issues, ISBN: 978-81-972787-9-2, Vol-1, 76-81.

Child and Mental Illness: A Study among Parents in Urban and Rural Areas of South Twenty Four Parganas and Howrah

ABSTRACT:

One out of every ten children suffers from mental health problems. These include depression, anxiety, and conduct disorder, and they frequently result directly from their personal experiences. The Ministry of Mental Health has developed policy guidelines for child and adolescent mental health in response to the insufficient treatment of mental disease in children. This study has demonstrated the type of mental illness that children in urban and rural areas are experiencing. It studied parents’ perceptions of sociocultural obstacles and enablers in the process of asking for assistance. In this qualitative research, eight focus group discussions were conducted with mothers and fathers in both rural and urban areas. The data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Eight groups comprised two male participant groups from the urban areas and two female participant groups from the rural areas. The perspectives of parents on child mental health, from identifying symptoms to requesting assistance, were investigated in this study.

KEYWORDS:

Mental illness, Mental health, Parents, Child.

INTRODUCTION:

The complete well-being and ideal development of a child in the emotional, behavioral, social, and cognitive domains is known as child mental health. Because of the distinct developmental milestones that children encounter, children’s mental health is sometimes described as being more complex and distinct from adult mental health. Children’s mental health issues may manifest as challenges with behavior, social interactions, and psychological and emotional growth and development. Mental health disorders are characterized by difficulties that are severe, chronic, and hinder functioning. Children’s wellbeing can be improved and problems can be prevented from getting worse with the help of well-designed programs and treatments for mental health promotion and prevention. Numerous risk and protective variables might have an impact on a child’s wellbeing. Promoting emotional and psychological fitness is a crucial aspect of mental health. Children who have stable mental health can grow emotionally and cognitively, build strong social bonds with others, and cope with mental problems. Protective factors refer to the attributes of children and the surrounding environment that contribute to healthy mental health outcomes by safeguarding children and mitigating the adverse effects caused by risk factors. The strengths of the child, family, and community that support resilience might be characterized as protective factors. Strengths in children can include intelligence, a calm disposition, and good physical health. The qualities that make a family cohesive and supportive are known as family strengths (e.g., nurturing parenting style, supervision, socioeconomic advantage). Recreational activities and safe schools are two examples of community strengths.

Approximately 50 million Indian children suffer from mental problems at any given moment, and if the adolescent population is taken into account as well, this figure would rise. The literature that is currently available shows significant differences in the prevalence of several CAMH diseases. The prevalence of mental illnesses in children and adolescents was assessed to be 12.1% in a Lucknow study; in contrast, the disease-specific prevalence was found to be 4.16% for nocturnal enuresis, 2.38% for pica, 1.78% for conduct disorders, and 1.26% for developmental disorders. Similar research carried out in Bangalore found that the prevalence was 12.5% overall, with rates of 12.4% in rural regions, 10.8% in slums, and 13.9% (the highest) in urban areas. It was discovered that the incidence varied between urban and rural locations. The prevalence of mental problems in children and adolescents ranged from 1.06% to 5.84% in rural regions, 0.8% to 29.4% in urban areas, and 12.5% to 16.5% in studies that involved both rural and urban populations, according to a number of community-level studies.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY:

1. To estimate the prevalence of mental health issues in children.
2. To investigate the mental health status from both user and provider perspectives.

METHODOLOGY:

• Research design- A qualitative research design using focus group discussion was chosen.
• Sample-

Parents of children younger than 10 years of age were purposely selected from South 24 Parganas rural village area and Howrah’s urban area. Four focus group discussions were conducted for 130 participants. Four groups included one urban and one rural group of male participants, as well as one urban and one rural female participant. Before commencing the group discussion, the participants were asked to fill out information about their age, their educational qualifications, their main income source, the number of children they have, and their ages. The age of participants ranged from 20 to 60 years old, and the number of children ranged from 1 to 6. The participants are from various professions. In the urban area, of the 60 participants, 25 were private service men, 15 were housewives, 10 were teachers, 5 were nurses, and 5 did manual labour. From rural areas, 28 were farmers, 7 were businessmen, 25 were housewives, 4 were teachers, and 6 never attended school. The purpose of including urban and rural areas was to have a sample of participants from different socio-economic backgrounds. Participants were encouraged to speak freely and openly about their knowledge, opinions, and experiences. Each group discussion lasted between 1 and 2 hours.

DATA COLLECTION:

All group discussions were conducted in the participants’ area in South 24 Parganas and Howrah, and a convenient time and place were agreed upon by the participants.

RESULT:

Stubborn or ill? Recognizing mental illness: The participants reported various symptoms as relevant when recognizing a potential mental health problem or illness in their child. There was a certain distinction between what they perceived as abnormal behavior and what they deemed as mental illness, although these could share a common cause. Mental illness was spontaneously described with severe or psychosis-like symptoms; softer symptoms, such as being restless or not playful, were always regarded as abnormal, but it varied as to whether they were considered a sign of mental illness. Mental health problems were described with visible symptoms and behavior rather than thoughts and emotions.

• To spoil a child:

The parents discussed how parents could spoil a child. It was recognized by some that corporal punishment and a lack of care from parents could be perceived negatively by the child, making them stubborn or driving them away from home.

• Substance abuse:

Another environmental factor that could affect the child was whether they used alcohol or other substances. Being drunk was considered by some as a cause for mental illness and by others as an alternative cause for symptoms that should be excluded before seeking help, letting the person become sober. Though often perceived to be a problem of the inner city, substance abuse has long been prevalent in rural areas. Rural children have higher rates of alcohol abuse and tobacco use, while prescription drug abuse and heroin use have grown in towns of every size. 

The research has shown the picture of urban areas and rural areas. In the case of urban areas, children are less depressed than in rural areas, whereas their anxiety level is higher in urban areas than in rural areas. Children have a higher personality disorder rate in urban areas than in rural areas, whereas substance abuse consumption rates are higher in rural areas than urban areas. In the matter of other mental health problems in urban areas, children attempt to commit suicide.

The study shows the risk factors for mental disorders in urban areas as well as rural areas. In rural areas, the risk factors are:

• Income:

Poor living conditions, such as poor housing, are associated with low income, and that is a risk factor for mental illness.

• Education:

Poor education is a consistent risk factor for common mental disorders.

• Social isolation:

As a result, distance is an important factor in the mental health and well-being of rural people. Geographic isolation affects access to mental health services.

• Insecurity:

Children of poor people experience more stress and fear because they feel insecure and vulnerable when their conditions worsen, which leads to mental disorders.

• Gender:

Apart from the possible role of biological factors, sex differences are a risk for common mental disorders.

In urban areas, the risk factors are:

• Overload:

Children of people who live in urban areas experience an increased stimulus level, density, crowding, noise, sights, pollution, and intensity of other inputs. This can cause overload, which is associated with depression and anxiety.

• Pre-existing risk factors:

Many people move to urban areas in search of better services and economic and social opportunities. Some of the reasons that children of these people may seek these things happen to be risk factors for mental health problems.

• Social factors:

Low social cohesion and crime victimization have been found to increase the risk of psychosis in childhood.

DISCUSSION:

SAMHSA(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) finds four elements that have an effect on mental health in rural areas: Protective factors lessen the likelihood that mental health disorders will manifest or worsen. They also aid in the promotion of good mental health. Protective elements consist of community and family support, problem-solving and social coping abilities, stability in the home, parental control, and financial security. People who are at risk of developing certain mental health issues are more likely to do so. A family history of mental health issues, long-term medical disorders, a lack of parental participation, and a lack of resources are risk factors, traumatic events, social exclusion, or history of abuse or neglect.

Environmental factors are related to one’s environment and have a significant impact on mental health outcomes. Among the environmental elements are local laws and customs, community relations, stigma or sentiments within the community, changes in demographics, and the availability of mental health resources and services.

Situational factors are those related to a person’s social environment that either raise or lower the likelihood of mental illness. Determining the unique requirements of each rural community will be made easier by having a better understanding of the protective, risky, environmental, and situational elements that surround community members.

CONCLUSION:

The main aim of mental health prevention is to reduce the incidence, prevalence, and recurrence of mental health illnesses as well as the disabilities they cause. The foundation of preventive interventions is altering the individual’s exposure to risk and enhancing their coping skills. All of the main preventive messages are:

1. Increase knowledge of developments and the significance of mental health promotion and prevention in the social, professional, and political spheres;
2. Provide an intervention design for each developmental stage that reduces the influence of risk factors;
3. Encourage interdisciplinary and multidimensional (legal, social, psychological, and familial) approaches;
4. Promote school-based interventions (targeting students, parents, and education professionals);
5. Integrate cost-effective preventive intervention research into clinical practice, public health campaigns, and service delivery frameworks;
6. Transition clinical practice to detection and intervention focused on at-risk individuals;
7. Encourage the adoption of healthy habits, such as exercise and diet.

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