PUT OUR WORLD BACK ON ITS FEET - BODYMIND: HEALTH, LEARNING, ART, FITNESS, DIET CHILDREN & - OUTLOOK INDIA
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
BodyMind: Health, learning, ArT, Fitness, Diet
www.outlookindia.com June 28, 2021
Children &
The Pandemic
Put Our
World Back
On Its
Feet
Inspired by
Message from Dr Jitendra Singh
Honourable Minister of State (Independent Charge),
Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, Minister of State,
Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions,
Department of Atomic Energy and Department of Space, Government of India
What We Owe The Future
I
ndia owes a debt to the future. One that no one could foresee. That is because the
Covid-19 pandemic, unbeknownst to us, has opened up a new frontier. One that sci-
ence and medical wisdom had assumed was secure. So while our energies were de-
voted to fighting the emergency that hit us like a tsunami, where every facet of normal
life and economy was imperilled, we tended to overlook the fact that it was leaving in our
midst a whole generation of the most innocent victims: children. It is only now, with the
new viral strains affecting children widely, that our attention has turned to them. And it
is imperative that we gauge the extent of the threat that India faces, along with the rest of
the world, and address it not just adequately, but creatively, along all axes of concern. So
that we turn this crisis into an opportunity where real value can be created.
Every war opens up multiple fronts, and our defences must be mounted on all of them.
When we regard the special needs of children vis-à-vis the pandemic, the concerns that
grab our attention right now occupy a complex range. There are questions of basic health,
hygiene and immunity. There is the question of a total and unprecedented disruption of
normal growing-up years, hitherto known to humanity only during times of war, and even
then not in such pervasive, and perverse, ways. And flowing from the latter, we see conse-
quences in mental health as cases of depression among the young rise at an exponential
rate. Besides, of course, the more obvious question we have all seen: education being
thrown out of gear. How do we cross this difficult passage in our nation’s life?
We must turn to science, we must turn to the best wisdom and expertise that we pos-
sess, we must turn to society itself—all of us are implicated in this. If humanity’s war
against the SARS-Cov-2 virus has to be fought—and won—we must offer a complete
guarantee to the future. I congratulate Outlook and Reckitt for conceptualising this pro-
ject where the best domain experts—in paediatrics, pedagogy, mental health, fitness and
nutrition—have offered us their wisdom. It fills a vital gap. The best part of all this is that
the children are speaking to us too—through text and image. We need to create an aware
young citizenry, and I am heartened by the signs of vitality I see amidst this crisis.
Together, we shall overcome.
O u t l oo k i n d i a . c o m j u ne 2 8 , 2 0 2 1 | o u t look 3
6 ft
Navigator›
Collector’s Issue
‹
EDITOR-in-chief Ruben Banerjee
managing EDITOR Sunil Menon
Executive Editor Satish Padmanabhan
Foreign Editor Seema Guha
Editor (Research) Ajit Kumar Jha
Political EDITOR Bhavna Vij-Aurora
T
Senior editor Giridhar Jha
art EDItor Deepak Sharma
Sports Editor Soumitra Bose he numerous tiny brushstrokes that fill this midst. A whole generation of the young. The ‘lost gen-
special edition of Outlook disclose a hitherto eration’, they are calling them. If you can see a child as
Writers Lola Nayar (Senior Associate Editor),
G.C. Shekhar (Associate Editor), Jeevan Prakash
Sharma (Senior Assistant Editor), Ajay Sukumaran,
Puneet Nicholas Yadav, Jyotika Sood, unheard speech to us—an inner speech that the a work of art in progress, each of them is an unfin-
Lachmi Deb Roy (Assistant Editors),
Naseer Ganai (Senior Special Correspondent),
world, in its extended panic and confusion, has not ished canvas where the brush has paused mid-action.
Preetha Nair (Special Correspondent) had time to listen to. What you will see on these pages A rude interruption of life in its very crucible.
are very many acts of solitary entanglement with The special vulnerability of children confronts us as
copy Desk Rituparna Kakoty (Senior Associate
Editor), Anupam Bordoloi, Saikat Niyogi,
Satyadeep, Bodhisattwa Maity (Associate Editors)
Photographers Tribhuvan Tiwari (Deputy
Piyush Gupta colour, shape, form and theme, acts that make audible an urgent question. Firstly, in plain medical terms.
Photo Editor), Dinesh Parab (Chief Photographer), Our Penny Stocks, Our Tomorrow to us voices from a muffled region, a whole silent But also in countless other ways. Accidental
Sandipan Chatterjee (Sr Photographer), Suresh
subcontinent, as it were. For, this pandemic has been ‘experiments’ in the past—the isolated instances of
Gaurav Jain
Kumar Pandey (Staff Photographer),
a decidedly adult affair. They have behaved as if it is feral children—have revealed what happens when a
J.S. Adhikari (Sr Photo Researcher),
U. Suresh Kumar (Digital Library)
design Leela, Praveen Kumar. G, A Time To Heal their catastrophe: they have taken stock, they have young mind is kept completely away from any other
Vinay Dominic (Senior Designers), Rohit Kumar
Rai (Designer), Devi Prasad (Sr DTP Operator),
Lola Nair, Jyotika Sood, Lachmi Deb Roy counted their losses, they have decided what to do human: even the spark of language does not enliven
Ranjeet Singh (DTP Operator)
and what not to, they have lamented and legislated on the brain. We may be in a less extreme, but way more
Digital Saubhagya Mohan Kala (Senior Associate
Editor), Soumitra Mishra (Digital Consultant),
Beyond Walls and Mirrors their fate. Nobody asked the children. pervasive version of such a cruel experiment. In the
Astha Savyasachi (Social Media Manager),
Jayanta Oinam, Ashutosh Sharma (Assistant
Manika Sharma We may like to believe that everything that had to be following pages, we tackle questions of health, nutri-
Editors), Eshita Bhargava (Senior Copy Editor),
Intifada Basheer (Sub Editor)
The Textbooks Do Not Tell Us… said about the pandemic has already been said. It has tion, fitness and pedagogy, but also, crucially, devote
Editorial Manager & Chief Librarian Alka Gupta
brought forth endless iterations of advisories, the do’s extensive sections to reflections on mental well-
BUSINESS OFFICE Dilen Gandhi and don’ts that now code our lives like a double helix, being—including on art as a healing practice.
Chief Executive officer Indranil Roy
Publisher SPECIAL PROJECTS Meenakshi Mehta Small Wonder and often mutually contradictory judgements. Cognitive scientists have long returned to the idea of
marketing director Shrutika Dewan
Breathless descents into near-shamanism have kept a body-mind continuum, recovering the holism that
Vice president Diwan Singh Bisht
General ManagerS Sasidharan Kollery,
Suravi Patra pace with scientific research and social analysis, wild came naturally to the pre-moderns. We seek that not
Shashank Dixit
MANAGER Sudha Sharma
The Psychological Pandemic prophecy has accompanied sober but grim prognosti- just through textual contributions from adults, but in
CIRCULATION & SUBSCRIPTION Gagan Kohli, cation. Not very many have had time to pause and those lines and circles, those daubs of paint.
G. Ramesh (South), Kapil Dhal (North), Amit Sen
Arun Kumar Jha (East), Manoj Kamble (West) reflect on the most innocent victims we have in our —Sunil Menon
Digital Amit Mishra Lonely Eyes Fixed on the Screen
HEAD OFFICE
AB-10, S.J. Enclave, New Delhi - 110 029 Meghna Yadav
Tel: 011-71280400; Fax: 26191420
Customer care helpline: 011-71280433, Is Your Child Tired of the Pandemic? Act Now
71280462, 71280307
e-mail: outlook@outlookindia.com
For editorial queries: edit@outlookindia.com
Rajat Mitra
For subscription helpline:
yourhelpline@outlookindia.com
The Inheritance of Loss
Printed and published by Indranil Roy on
behalf of Outlook Publishing (India) Pvt. Ltd.
Ravi Bhatnagar
Editor: Ruben Banerjee. Printed at MP Printers
(A Unit of DB Corp Ltd) B-220, Phase-II, Tools to Set Kids Free
Noida 201305, Gautam Budh Nagar (UP)
and published from AB-10, S.J. Enclave,
New Delhi-110 029
Rajat Chauhan
Published for the week of June 22-June 28, 2021
Released on June 19, 2021
Perspiration, Respiration, Inspiration, Aspiration
Total number of pages 68 including covers
Subbarao M. Gavaravarapu, Hemalatha R.
What’s Eating You?
Richa Jha
Paint Me a Painbow
POINT AND SHARE Kanaka Sudhakar
Now, open Outlook magazine on your
smartphone instantly. Ripples in an Inner Lake
Point your phone’s scanner on the
code and align it in the frame. Anhad Singh: Lockdown Diary
You will be guided instantly to our
website, www.outlookindia.com
This is useful to share our stories on
social media or email them. Cover Design: Deepak Sharma Cover Photograph: Shutterstock
4 outloo k | june 28, 2021 O u t l oo k i n d i a . c o m jun e 28 , 2021 | outlook 5
6 ft
Our
Penny The pandemic has left a
Stocks,
generation-sized vacuum in
the lives of our young ones,
the most innocent victims
Our
of the Covid catastrophe.
We must invest in securing
Tomorrow
India’s future—right now.
E
ach generation has to go through an are supposedly at disproportionate risk. As we
era-defining upheaval. It is mostly on a have seen across time and space, the section
national scale, sometimes regional, and of the population most at risk of contracting
occasionally, as was the case in the two ‘World’ Covid depends on a number of factors—
Wars, near-global. Some of us lived through behaviour, exposure, lockdowns etc. We have
Independence and Partition, some through seen that even the most stringent of
wars, and some through the economic liberali- precautions and most secure bio-bubbles are
sation of the 1990s. Nothing could have prepa not foolproof. If a city were to open schools
red us for this. And in turn, it would’ve been and keep offices closed, the logical result to
nearly impossible to prepare our children for it. expect would be a higher number of cases
Nevertheless, they find themselves in the being reported in adolescents compared to
middle of it. An era-defining upheaval. A middle-aged men. The steps we take as a
pandemic of a globalised world. A world society have been seen to have more bearing
where news of death, illness and misery on the risk of contracting Covid than
across the ocean is barely an instant away. For physiological factors, which have not been
the last year and a half, we have been united properly studied yet.
in the uneasy knowledge that we are all in this This pandemic has exhibited a non-linear,
together, regardless of location, economic complex nature; all predictions, whether
differences, religious beliefs and age. based on complex mathematical models or
The oft-repeated assertion entering the lay past experience or even just instinct, have
consciousness has been that children are safe gone for a toss. It would be prudent, there-
from contracting COVID-19. A truer state- fore, to be cautious against any speculation
Dr Piyush Gupta, MD FAMS,
ment would be that they are relatively safer or prediction unsubstantiated by hard
is National President, Indian
Academy of Pediatrics 2021, from severe forms of Covid. They aren’t evidence, especially about the third wave
and Professor and Head, immune to it, and the fact that the rate of specifically targeting children. All this can
Department of Pediatrics, mortality and severity is lower doesn’t mean result in is unwarranted mental trauma to
University College of Medical we let our guard down. It also doesn’t mean children and their caretakers, rather than
Sciences, Delhi we panic about a third wave where children preparing them for whatever lies in store.
S u r e s h K . Pa n d e y
6 outloo k | jun e 28, 2021 O u t l oo k i n d i a . c o m jun e 28 , 2021 | outlook 7
6 ft
Usually, it is expected that every fresh wave less likely to require ICU admissions. and playgrounds. Children are exposed to which has been tested time and again during
would be weaker than the previous one, but However, the impact of the pandemic on common viral and bacterial pathogens in the pandemic, there is an imminent need to
the strange nature of the virus coupled with our children has not been limited to the these settings and develop immunity against redesign school curriculums, as well as
human behaviour has belied this. The second actual disease, but a gamut of related issues them. The fact that they have missed out on performance assessment systems.
wave took a much heavier toll than expected and lifestyle changes forced upon them due this is worrisome, but on the cost-benefit A holistic approach to child mental health
and has given credence to the possibility that to the pandemic. A recent study published in ratio, somewhat justified considering the cost needs to be adopted by parents and teachers
the third wave might be even stronger. The Indian Pediatrics, monthly journal of the is the unchecked spread of a pandemic. alike, who need to be sensitised into mini
number of people infected has been much Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP), found One of the more serious side-effects of the mising the stress on every child they are
A side-effect higher in the second wave; proportionately, that almost a third of children had developed pandemic has been the reduction in child responsible for. Equating excellence in
the number of children infected also increa psychosocial problems, presenting as hospital visits. Hitherto, any paediatrician academic learning to self-worth merely
of the sed. This remains a possibility even in the symptoms of anxiety and depression. The could attest to parents bringing their children serves to inflate an already competitive
pandemic third wave, but there is no logical reasoning underlying problems for these ranged from more frequently to their doctors, either for environment and does not work towards
or evidence to believe the third wave will the fear of acquiring Covid infection, not regular immunisation or even in cases of mild discipline and results. These positive traits
has been the predominantly or exclusively affect children. being able to attend school, to not being able illnesses, than they would themselves. These need to be self-motivated if they are to
reduction in An ICMR survey conducted in December to meet friends. The thing they missed the used to provide a vital stopgap in diagnosis sustain for the long term, and the self-moti
2020 to January 2021 showed that the per most, as well the activity they intended to and management of chronic illnesses, which vation can only come from a place of mental
child hospital centage of infected children in the age group engage in as soon as the lockdowns were would have otherwise gone unnoticed, since calm and security. To build this, screen-time
visits. There of 10-17 years was around 25%, the same as over, was to meet friends. routine check-ups have been almost non- needs to be reduced for children. Yoga, medi
adults. Almost 90% of infections in children Socialising for children is even more impor existent in a large part of the country. Now, tation and other forms of exercise need to be
is increasing are mild/asymptomatic. This indicates that tant than it is for adults, for it contributes to due to Covid, there is increasing reluctance to taken up. And since we have already seen the
reluctance to while children are being infected like adults, their overall development into young adults. bring children to the hospital. Sure, telemedi psychological issues emanating from the
bring children they are not getting the severe form of Covid.
As per data collected in the first two waves,
It builds social skills, teamworking skills,
communication skills, not to mention the
cine has taken over where it can, but there’s
no denying the value of an in-person visit for
pandemic, an exclusive helpline to combat
adolescent suicide is long overdue.
to hospital. even severe Covid infections in children are natural build-up of immunity in classrooms diagnosis of an underlying disease. Even It’s true that the pandemic has wrought
routine immunisation has suffered and this unprecedented misery and chaos everywhere,
can be disastrous in the long term. The but it has also exacerbated existing problems
pandemic indirectly might end up aiding the like nutritional extremes. On one hand we are
proliferation of a host of other illnesses. battling with issues such as m alnutrition and
Then there’s the economic impact. Already anaemia. The Comprehensive National School
marginalised communities have borne the Nutrition Survey (CNNS) India 2016-18— attendance
brunt of it, with no jobs, no income, and sav which included data on 1,12,316 children and
ings exhausted. This will invariably have an adolescents—revealed that only 6% of infants
will ensure
impact on their child’s nutrition, and in turn, are getting a minimum acceptable diet, the that children
their overall health. The challenges are many, prevalence of wasting (defined as low weight
and therefore, there can’t be one solution. for height, indicating acute malnutrition) and
are not
leading a
T
stunting (defined as low height for age, indi
he other vacuum children are left with cating long-term malnutrition) in under-five
for now is schools. Schools are an inex children are 17% and 35%, respectively; and
sedentary
tricable part of a child’s life; they spend 41% of pre-schoolers, 24% of school-age lifestyle, are
at least a quarter of their day in school or trav children, and 28% of adolescents are anaemic.
elling to and from it—vitally, being socialised It’s highly probable that the problem has
mingling with
all through. The stringent lockdowns necessi worsened during the pandemic, especially peers, and
tated by the pandemic brought a simultane among children belonging to underprivileged
ous need and opportunity for a paradigm shift communities such as manual labourers,
developing
a healthy
Art: snigdha borogohain, 11, noida
in education. We know, now, that self- daily-wage earners and migrant workers, who
have been struggling to survive. There is an
directed learning works, with children gaining
more autonomy, responsibility and, in turn, urgent need to address the lack of proper
immunogenic
more independence in setting goals and nutrition in these children, which can result in arsenal.
achieving them. The absence of an authority long-term s tunting and developmental
figure solely responsible for their education disorders. On the other hand, we have urban
has provided a long overdue impetus in children living in e conomically stable
self-motivation and ownership in education. households, who are at the other end of the
We also are more cognisant of the possibility nutritional extreme. In the last decade,
that attending school is more important for options at home for junking have been on the
socialisation and associated skills rather than rise, b
ecoming ever-more p revalent during the
mere learning. In view of this, and to better lockdowns. A national consultative group
take care of our children’s mental health, constituted by the Nutrition Chapter of the
8 o utlook | jun e 28, 2021 Outlookindia.com jun e 28 , 2021 | outlook 9
6 ft
with cardiac and sleep disturbances in
c hildren and adolescents. In view of these
conclusions, it’s necessary to have stricter
policy on ultra-processed and junk foods,
front-of-pack labelling, and creating
awareness about their adverse effects.
Exercising at home for children, including
but not limited to yoga, is encouraged to
increase physical activities, but it’s not a
substitute for schools, which need to be
reopened to provide them with a sense of
normalcy. However, as an IAP Task Force
recently put forth in its guidelines, they should
be opened “only when the local epidemiologi-
cal parameters are favourable, the administra-
tion is equipped with adequate infrastructure
and healthcare facilities, and the stakeholders
(teachers, students, parents and support staff )
are prepared for the new normal. In the
meanwhile, remote learning (media-based
and/or otherwise) should reach the last
student to maintain uninterrupted education.”
School attendance will ensure that children
are not leading a sedentary lifestyle, are
mingling with peers, and developing a healthy
immunogenic arsenal.
S
peculation about a third wave that
predominantly affects children shouldn’t
be seen as a reason to panic, but an
pportunity to better our paediatric healthcare
o
infrastructure—historically inadequate in
normal times, let alone during a pandemic. Not
just district hospitals, but even many medical
colleges in the country do not have intensive
care services for children, be it in terms of
trained specialists or essential equipment. The
litchi epidemic was a stark example showcasing
how woefully underprepared we are in dealing
with a sudden spike of such nature. The motto
has to be—build in peacetime, so that we are
ready for war. Healthcare, especially for
children, has to become a priority if we are to
a p o o r va s a l k a d e
handle a pandemic. This does not simply mean
buying more ventilators, procuring more
A r t : t i ya s h a s a h a , 7 , g u r g a o n
IAP has suggested a new acronym: ‘JUNCS’ equipment, creating more beds. It also means
foods, to cover a wide variety of concepts making sure the workforce responsible for our
related to unhealthy foods. Think ‘Junk foods, children isn’t scanty, starved or scared.
Ultra-processed foods, Nutritionally The writing is on the wall for anyone to
inappropriate foods, Caffeinated/coloured/ read. We can’t think short-term and expect
carbonated foods/beverages, and Sugar- long-term gains. Dealing simply with Covid
sweetened b everages’. Consumption of these will not erase decades of under-investment
foods and beverages, we conclude, is in child health. There needs to be a long-
associated with higher free sugar and energy term commitment from all private and
intake, and with higher body mass index, while public stakeholders if we are to be prepared
intake of caffeinated drinks may be a ssociated for the next era-defining u pheaval. O
10 o utlook | jun e 28, 202 1 O u t l oo k i n d i a . c o m jun e 28 , 2021 | o utloo k 11
6 ft
A
TIME
TO HEAL
P
ERPETUAL war. A state where you lose cally, cognitively and socio-emotionally,
focus, lose grip on the flow of time, its diurnal internalising the complex structures of lan-
and seasonal rhythms, even a healthy sense guage right from infancy and then honing
of the self-in-the-world. That’s what the pan- those skills in the playground and school.
demic appears like even to adult minds—a Home is the f ulcrum of their lives—and luck-
social desert, a psychological dead-end from ily, that is still with them, at least most of
which flight seems impossible. Transpose them. But the outside ‘environment’ is the
that state to a child’s mind and imagine the foundry where a well-formed, complete
intensity of the crisis. The world has imposed human being is forged. That has simply van- SHUTTERSTOCK
on them, without any warning, a life bereft of ished, as it were.
most of our normal markers of comfort and At Reckitt, we are keenly alive to this form of It’s our common objective to ensure that their lives. We believe these initiatives have a
delight—a life that could be deemed normal deprivation. That’s why children are always at childhood and adolescence do not lose their vital edge: it’s precisely the early childhood
only for ancient warriors or modern army the centre of our campaigns, advertisements essence due to the pandemic—to see that years when children first learn how to interact
units specialised in remote border conflicts. and CSR activities. In our journey of over five innocence flowers into experience in fruitful, with others, including peers, teachers and par-
Time hangs like a vast, empty space, with years where we focused on the very young, we seamless ways. Reckitt has garnered new part- ents, and begin to develop interests and habits
nothing filling it—we are well into the second started small but now our reach extends to nerships and strengthened its ongoing ones to that will stay with them throughout their
year now, and no signs of early closure over 6 lakh schools. What makes us really this end. But the scars the pandemic is leaving lives. Now, behaviour alterations are to be ex-
appear on the horizon. And remember, a proud is that our efforts are not dispropor- have us worried. What we are doing, will it pected during an abnormal phase such as this
young mind cognizes and processes a year as tionately focused on private urban schools— suffice? To ensure all-round growth and de- pandemic, when confinement at home is the
being of a much, much longer duration. Are we cover a vast range of rural Indian schools velopment, to really fill the void, it’s impera- norm for children—psychiatrists, counsellors,
you surprised at signs of fatigue, mental and parallel schools like madrassas. tive that we get to a stage where schools and educationists and teachers, all reiterate that
attrition and depression creeping in? The The lockdown, first of all, brings sheer inac- parents can again make conjoined efforts— unfortunate fact. It will take time to fill the
familiar hum of school, the laughter of class- tivity—and, consequently, boredom. How how quickly or how late, we do not know. The vacuum, but as parents and teachers, provid-
mates, would now be a distant memory for could one keep kids engaged? We thought onus is squarely on us, meanwhile. ing the best nurturance under the circum-
the really younger ones. How to comport hard to come up with innovative ideas. One unique initiative we pioneered is a stances is our responsibility. Reckitt sees its
oneself in group situations is something you Unlock 22, a partnership programme of mobile app designed for fun, learning and mission as one that includes everything in the
have to learn by doing—the chance for that Butterfly Edufields and Dettol Banega engagement—we named it the Dettol Phygital motto ‘protect, heal and nurture’, while never
normal behavioural evolution is snuffed out. Swasth India, was one of our most meticu- Experience. Its exploratory pathways are letting up on our relentless pursuit of a
‘The outdoor’ is taboo—with it goes the lously thought out campaigns. It comprised focused on health and hygiene, especially in cleaner, healthier world. Our h ygiene, health
tactile connection with the planet. 22 exciting challenges and activities during the context of washing hands, something and nutrition businesses are oriented towards
The years of early childhood, up to age 8, 22 days of lockdown for kids, parents, grand- we’ve been propagating for years. Our adver- the latter. But in throwing ourselves to the
Gaurav Jain are crucially formative. It is precisely parents and teachers. The unspoken motto tisements, even before Covid hit the world, fo- task of ensuring the general weal, and in salut-
is Senior Vice President, through i nteractions with the world that the there was to improve family bonding while cused on this important practice of life that ing brave Covid warriors among our young
South Asia, Reckitt young body-mind continuum evolves physi- driving productive engagement at home. could save millions from falling sick or losing citizenry, we lean towards the former. O
12 OUTLOOK | JUNE 28, 2021 OUTLOOKINDIA.COM JUNE 28 , 2021 | OUTLOOK 13
6 ft
r uined,” says her mother, worried that the
daughter is also missing key learning
Beyond Walls and
milestones. “We have our limitations. The
kinds of peer learning kids absorb at this
age from school and the playground is
Mirrors
missing. It may not reflect now, but as she
grows up, I fear peer learning and s ocialising
will become difficult for her if she spends
more time at home with us.”
The story is no different at every
household, cutting across economic class
and location. On top of this, lockdowns,
social distancing and pandemic restrictions
have led to increased dependence on
There is need for government-level intervention in education policy, to
gadgets, and not just for children. The
cater to the needs of children once normalcy returns. Meanwhile, let’s extended lockdowns have led to disturbed
do our bit. After all, they are our kids, our future. family life with rise in fights, physical and
R
mental abuse—all under the shadow of
Jyotika Sood, Lachmi Deb Roy & Lola Nayar illness and death. Over time, the lack of
space, of movement and exposure to the
outdoors is preying upon minds. This is
especially true for adolescents, just at a time
UN around the park when they normally begin to venture out on
to chase a dragonfly. their own, beyond the protective veil of their
Climb a tree to shock parents. In urban India, cheek-by-jowl
onlookers. Jump into existence forces a type of socialisation that
a puddle to splash the has been tamped down, replaced by forced
dirty water on a isolation, unease, fear and suspicion that
friend, and get your especially preys on the minds of kids,
uniform dirty while resulting in irritability and anger issues.
returning from Pooja Bakshi Jaitly, counselling psycholo-
school. Get into a gist for air force personnel and their fami-
scrap with friends over who gets to bat first lies, says the impact is different for every age
in cricket. Plan a sleepover with friends and group. Those below 10 years are, according
stay awake discussing boyfriends. to her, full of anxiety and fear, rising largely A r t : V aa n y a a r o r a , 1 4
Childhood is a tender age when worldly from their immediate environment, particu-
pleasures don’t move you, often. You might larly since their parents’ attitudes have a
bawl for a smartphone, but once you get it, direct bearing on them. And there is no
you don’t spend hours tinkering with it. The school and friends to fall back upon for themselves mired in their own existential
bigger rewards are apparently insignificant emotional support. Meanwhile, even after worries—don’t have the patience,
things like a smile, a hug, praise and schools reopen, there’s the fear that some of demanding discipline instead of trying to
applause. the children might face separation anxiety. understand their kids.
Not anymore. Since early 2020, life for kids After all, for more than a year, they have got In a study ‘Impact of COVID-19 and
across the globe is confined to homes that used to having only their parents and family lockdown on mental health of children and
A r t : J i a D u s h y a n t V a s a n i , 5 , G u r ga o n
often resemble four walls of a jail. And the members around them the whole day. On the adolescents: A narrative review with
massive psychological changes and other end, some parents have had to get spe- recommendations’, published in Elsevier
challenges this has wrought are barely cial permission to take their children around Public Health Emergency Collection, the
understood or addressed. their empty schools to help calm them down. researchers said the nature and extent of
For four-year-old Kirti Sharma (name With adolescents, who are already impact on children and adolescents depends
changed), the single kid of working parents undergoing a lot of physical, emotional and on many vulnerability factors, including
who live in Gurgaon, the world has collapsed psychological changes, the pandemic period current educational status, special needs,
into their 2BHK house. Bored of her toys, TV, has been traumatic. It is a period when pre-existing mental health conditions,
crayons and board games, she tells her mom, normally, there is a high degree of brain economic standing, fear of quarantines.
“Maa, kitna boring hai (Mom, this is so development. That is missing as there is no The researchers concluded there is a
boring)”. Her bemused parents have no idea structured pattern to their daily routine. pressing need for planning longitudinal and
how to manage her. This is a time when calibrated interaction developmental studies, and implementing
“The tender age of learning is being with parents is crucial. But often, parents— evidence-based elaborative plans of action,
14 outlook | jun e 28, 202 1 Outlookindia.com june 28 , 2021 | outlook 15
6 ft
you want your child to wear a mask, instead constraints in big cities like Mumbai and not only missing classes, but also the simple
of calling them out when they don’t, reward Delhi, conflict is inevitable. “Before the everyday interactions like walking to class
them with affirmations such as a high-five pandemic, children who shared rooms together, eating lunch together, playing and The pandemic
when they do so. Using punishment could co-exist better because of avenues creating together. And this is having a
frequently will lead to the desired action outdoors,” Chhabria says. “Since restric- domino effect on them. has snatched
being completed with a mindset induced in tions were imposed, they are often at log- Even schools are acknowledging and trying away two
fear, which is not only detrimental for the gerheads as they are unable to assert the to address this. “We’re cognisant of the fact
parent-child relationship, but also the same degree of autonomy and independ- that the effect of the pandemic will remain main sources
child’s psychological wellbeing. Using rein- ence within the confined space. Besides, with our children even after normalcy of children’s
forcement and having a discussion with children of different age groups also have returns,” says Manit Jain, co-founder of
your children about why you want them to conflicting needs. Essentially, parents are Gurgaon-based Heritage Xperiential social
perform certain behaviour, will manifest in faced with difficulty in communication, Learning School. Keeping this in mind, they interaction—
healthy habits that stand the test of time.” having to juggle between unique needs of have designed a curriculum and practices to
The school environment is crucial in fos- their children, leading to familial distress.” help ease the children back to the physical immediate
tering a motivation to learn, because chil- Peer interactions and relationships are school, with a lot of emphasis on their social neighbourhood
dren are not used to studying in isolation. how kids learn not only about cooperation, and emotional needs. The school has put tog
In the absence of peer discussion and trust, loyalty and support, but also about ether a social-emotional learning team and a and school.
teacher interactions, online schooling has themselves, understanding and expressing counselling team, which will be working
resulted in low motivation. Besides not their own emotions, making well thought closely with the students when they return.
being able to physically go to school, stu- out decisions, coping with challenges and Since the start of the pandemic, parents
dents are unable to form new connections accepting responsibility. The pandemic has have noticed changes in their children’s
or maintain old ones online— quickly losing snatched away two main sources of their behaviour, including restlessness, out-
the sense of belonging they once had. social interaction—immediate neighbour- bursts, extreme irritability, mood swings,
“All children naturally have high energy hood and school. As a result, children are disturbed sleep and melancholia. Chhabria
levels, but with extracurricular activities
also inaccessible, they are at a loss of places
A r t : M i t a k s h i Ka s h y a p , 5
to spend their energy,” Chhabria explains.
“As a result of online schooling, children are
cooped up in their room in front of a screen
all day long, which can make them highly
irritable and frustrated.”
It is essential for parents to keep commu-
nication channels open and constantly
interact with their children, in order to
build an emotional language with them. “In
these times, parents themselves are
impatient and restless, and end up being
dismissive of their children’s grievances,
which may seem petty, but matter a lot to
Art: Kritika Joshi, 17, Jaipur
the child,” says Mumbai-based psychologist
Dr Seema Hingorrany. “Speak to them
to cater to the psycho-social and mental instead, understand their problems and
health needs of vulnerable children and answer their questions patiently. Or try to
adolescents, both during the pandemic and seek therapy instead of taking out your own
afterwards. There is a need to ameliorate frustrations on the child.”
children and adolescents’ access to mental Toddlers and pre-schoolers haven’t even en-
health services geared towards providing countered schools, staying away fromparents
measures for developing healthy coping for a stretch of time, or interaction with
mechanisms during the crisis. people other than family. “During my ses-
According to several reports, mental sions, I have been seeing a lot of nervousness
health issues are becoming huge among and restlessness in toddlers when they get
children in India, with some reports indi- exposed to a crowd,” Hingorrany says. “They
cating a 42 per cent rise in depression. are shy to interact with outsiders, often
“The key idea here is to quickly and often clinging to their parents.”
reward good behaviour, to engender a Having the entire family at home can be
virtuous cycle,” says Mumbai-based psychi- enjoyable, but when it gets extended for
atrist Dr Anjali Chhabria. “For example, if months on end, especially given the space
16 o utloo k | jun e 28, 202 1 O u t l oo k i n d i a . c o m june 28 , 2021 | outloo k 176 ft
explains that instead of dismissing the
worries and anxieties of infants of age 0-5
years, parents should try addressing these
to foster strong bonds.
For kids of age 6-12 years, psychologists
feel it is important to maintain routines,
even during vacations, in order to not
disturb their body cycles. Any form of phys-
ical activity—from dancing to a YouTube
video to doing dishes—is essential, as it
secretes hormones in the brain that are
responsible for psychological wellbeing.
With schools going online and academic
pressure rising, especially for teenagers, it is
important to be mindful of screen time, as
excessive exposure can cause headaches
and sleep disturbance. Chhabria says it is
important for teens “to stay engaged at
home, by contributing to household chores.
While online schooling can be a conveni-
ence, parents should also make an effort so
that their children stay in touch with their
friends. And if a child feels overwhelmed,
parents should immediately reach out to
mental health professionals.”
Actress and UN Equality Champion Celina
Jaitley, who lives in Austria, says, “Our kids
have been home for a year and a half, since
the onset of the pandemic. My husband and
I are very transparent with our sons. We
practise ‘Sing Happy-Birthday two times’
together while doing daily chores 6-7 times
a day. We have isolated ourselves
completely, and have been focusing on
eating lots of fresh organic fruits and
veggies. The twins are fully aware of the
global nature of the pandemic. Arthur, my
three-year-old, believes Corona and
Monster Zombies are first cousins.”
Celina felt one of the biggest challenges she
faced as a parent was the fear of the pan-
demic in the mind of her kids. “We had to
work consistently to balance the new
realities while teaching them to handle their
fears,” she says. “We also made a strong
Art: Snigdha borgohain, 11, noida
endeavour to stick to their school routine. As
parents, we make the effort to wake them up
at 6.30 am on weekdays and make them do
their studies at home exactly as per the
school schedule, including the breaks.”
“As parents, we make the effort to wake As parents and elders, it is our
responsibility to understand that the
them up at 6.30 am on weekdays and psychological and behavioural changes we
make them do their studies at home notice in our children are valid, and allow
them to express their emotions in
exactly as per the school schedule, whichever way they want. Let us ensure
including the breaks,” says Celina Jaitley. a brighter future for our kids. O
18 outlook | june 28, 202 1 Outlookindia.com june 28 , 2021 | outlook 196 ft
Editorial content
The
Textbooks
Do Not
Tell Us…
…how to build the future. It must be imagined
afresh, from the debris of our broken present.
It’s an education for all of us
T
he irrepressible Mark Twain once fam
ously said: “I have never let my schooling
interfere with my education.” His words
have proved prophetic, though no one
could have imagined the world-altering
context that has seen education continue
without physical schools as we know it.
The raging pandemic that has halted the
world in its tracks, and has now pretty
much immobilised India, has left everyone
grappling with the surreal, dystopian na
ture of the new normal. It has left shattered
lives, families and communities in its wake,
and has been especially devastating in its
impact on children. With schools experi S u r e s h K . Pa n d e y
menting with online and hybrid education,
teaching and learning as we knew it has access even the basics, whether it’s a stable create anxiety in all, and our children are no the family they’re supposed to be gaining
changed, and probably forever. Whether internet connection, or a smartphone. In different. If younger children have exhib their independence from, while being cut
this change is for the better or not is a many huts and one-room tenements, even ited stressful reactions such as bedwetting, off from the larger community and peer re
longer debate for another day, in a the idea of electricity—let alone connectiv disturbances in eating and sleeping patterns lationships that enable self-actualisation.
post-pandemic world. Right now, the imp ity, or a quiet learning space for a child—is and outbursts, older students have strug Doctors report that they are seeing feelings
erative is to work out the logistics of this an unimaginable luxury. gled with missing out school life markers of depression, helplessness, low energy, loss
reality to ensure that no child or family is How then have schools navigated this that they’ve been looking forward to: sports of interest in hobbies and hopelessness.
left out of the learning ecosystem. The eco hitherto unknown reality? And more imp events, graduation day, college visits, in Counsellors, doctors, families, schools and
nomic realities of a country like ours means ortantly, how are our young children and ternships and the sheer joie de vivre of communities have come together to support
that while a micro percentage of children young adults coping? A myriad questions being together as the seniormost group on children. Online counselling, fun commu
and families can easily access all the tools to continue, with no one answer fitting all. campus. At a stage in life when they’re natu nity events on Zoom, and teacher connect
Manika Sharma is Director, navigate the world of digital learning, a A sudden change and a constantly fluctu rally expected to explore independence time have been put in place to scaffold chil
The Shri Ram Schools larger mass of the population grapples to ating, unpredictable new normal cannot but from parents, they are trapped at home with dren as best as possible. There is no dearth
20 o utlook | jun e 28, 202 1 O u t l oo k i n d i a . c o m june 28 , 2021 | o utloo k 216 ft
The imperative is to work
out the logistics of this
reality to ensure that no
child or family is left out
of the learning ecosystem.
be a hybrid blend? How will uniformity of
implementation be handled in a country as
economically and socially diverse as ours?
Can we ensure a level playing field, or at
least one with fewer hurdles? The integra-
tion of technology in classroom teaching
has compelled educators to upgrade their
technical skills. This has not been without
its challenges, and more so, has come at
the cost of stressed-out educators. They
were already struggling to deal with the
pandemic, often in their own immediate
and extended families, and at the same
time be a supporting scaffold to students.
L
earning management systems
(LMS) help teachers deliver online
lessons, share reading materials and
grade assignments. These platforms can
streamline much of the work for teachers
and assist with tracking student progress
and connecting with parents. Virtual
Reality (VR), which creates an immersive
3D environment that a user can explore,
and Augmented Reality (AR), which super-
imposes digital elements such as visuals,
sound and text onto a user’s surroundings,
are both here to stay.
While a shaken and stirred world awaits
of online resources to seek help from or better times sooner rather than later, the
stay meaningfully engaged with. digital space continues to entertain with
A larger question going forward is: in the memes and cartoons to keep the spirits
post-pandemic world, what will education high. May prayers and humour get us
look like? Governments, education sys- through this challenging time.
Art: Sagarika Khanna, 17, Gurgaon
tems and school managements are cease- The pandemic that has ravaged the
lessly engaging in dynamic interactions to world for more than a year has particu-
chart the way forward. Around the world, larly been an immense challenge for edu-
they are urgently recalibrating outdated cation. Yet may it become a ransformative
systems and modernising them for the 21st watershed event to build more equitable
century. Educators have had an opportu- and resilient education systems of and for
nity to reimagine learning and equip stu- the future. All stakeholders need to sup-
dents with the cognitive, creative, social, portively collaborate because reforming
emotional and physical skills required to our education systems and reimagining
navigate the future. How will exams be learning can wait no more.
held? Will we go back to the comfort zone If not now, then when
of physical schooling and exams, or will it If not us, then who. O
22 outlook | jun e 28, 202 1 Outlookindia.com jun e 28 , 2021 | outlook 236 ft
children react similarly, especially when it tation while empowering citizens with better
comes to hygiene habits. I’m sure all of us health outcomes across the country. As part
small
have seen videos of toddlers recognising of the Digital Handwash Curriculum, we
sanitiser dispensers before other everyday have created 1,54,000 awareness sessions on
objects. Seeing children adopt these habits is handwash and hygiene, impacting over 13
surely a catalyst for all of us to do better. million school children in 6 lakh-plus
These habits, if maintained, will have schools via e-curriculum and offline curricu
wonder
utility far beyond the pandemic. According lum across Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra,
to WHO, inadequate hygiene and sanita Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Andhra
tion practices in India contribute to high Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, among other states.
neonatal mortality rate as well as diar With the second wave in India, the pan
rhoeal deaths of children under five years demic re-emerged with a vengeance. Dettol,
of age. Therefore, it is critical for us to knowing the special role played by children
Unlikely heroes are emerging amidst the Covid encourage our children to continue to in the pandemic, decided to use their voice to
practise the good hygiene habits they convey an important message via the Dettol
pandemic. And youngsters are finding ways to have learnt. Not only as a means to Anthem. The anthem not only highlights the
join the global battle against the mystery virus. protect themselves but also as an importance of good habits and vaccination,
example to others around. but also sends a message of hope. Children
Dettol, with its history of working once again will play the role they have played
towards driving behavioural change, so far. Being agents of change.
promises to play an important part in During the pandemic, when so many of us
creating a healthier, more hygienic world. were struggling to cope with the new reality,
T
Our flagship Dettol Banega Swasth India there were some brave souls who emerged in
programme has been instrumental in creat strong support of the community. These
ing awareness around hygiene and sani COVID-19 warriors selflessly dedicated their
time, effort and resources to help those in
need, touching thousands of lives across
he pandemic has changed our lives forever. India. We were truly inspired by these stories
Most of us are trying our best to find the and wanted to pay tribute to their valiant
balance between managing family efforts. With our #DettolSalutes campaign,
time, homeschooling, remote we showcased these inspiring tales front and
working and taking time out centre of our Dettol Liquid handwash packs,
for ourselves. And this can replacing our logo for the first time in the
be quite daunting for some. history of the brand. Children
One silver lining is that One amongst them is Nirvaan, a 12-year-old
our children have largely boy from Kochi who, after reading about the
once again
been spared from the hardships of frontline warriors, decided to will play the
severe symptomatic reac get in touch with the police to understand
tions of the virus. However, how he could help. Nirvaan led a group of his
role they’ve
in other ways the children friends to create posters encouraging and played so
are the most impacted. applauding the work done by police officials
Missing school or playing in his city. He also helped raise funds to
far. Being
with friends, worrying about provide refreshments for officers on duty to the agents
loved ones, confusion or bore help them sustain through long hours and
dom can lead to problems more scorching heat. I’m sure there are many such
of change.
severe than we imagine. stories yet to be told. Just one more example
However, children do have ast of how children could be a catalyst for
onishing resilience. They tend to everyone around.
respond to crises in ways that Together, this heightened awareness of
Dilen Gandhi is Regional seem beyond their years. And hygiene practices and a greater sense of social
Marketing Director, South those little acts of maturity give awareness in this generation of children gives
Asia – Health & Nutrition, hope to all those around. During me a lot of hope that our dream of a healthier,
Reckitt this pandemic too, we’ve seen more hygiene is that much closer. O
24 outlook | june 28, 202 1 jun e 28 , 2021 | outlook 25Mental Health
The
Psychological
Pandemic Whose life are we saving: at what cost?
Is COVID-19 making us hold our children
as hostages? The consequences can be
disastrous. What we need is collective
C
awareness and care
ovid-19 has brought the entire world to a ing medical conditions. Many experts ques
grinding halt; all activities of progress, growth, tion the role of school closure in containing
development have been stalled. While an eff the virus. Continuous indoor stay with re
ective cure remains elusive, and vaccination duced opportunity to go out, and increase in
proceeds at a glacial pace, the only real resort screen time, is the perfect recipe for future
the world has are the public health measures myopia (near-sightedness). Not to speak of
being implemented across the globe: repeated the risk of chronic diseases like obesity,
hand-washing, masking and social distancing. stress, diabetes, hypertension and cardiac
Simple measures, but of course things that conditions, which are vastly enabled by a
have made daily lives a struggle. Caught up in sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy caloric intake
our own frustrations, however, we tend to for and lack of physical activity. With this unnat
get how much more difficult this abnormal ural phase, we are looking at a nightmare fu
phase in the planet’s life is for the young ones. ture scenario where these are bound to
Explaining the various virus containment increase in our young population.
strategies to them is already an arduous task— So we have physically caged our children
enforcing them is taking a real, continuous with enforced lockdowns, social distancing
toll on their mental well-being. The recent and school closures. And that’s creating a
Indian guidelines of relaxing mask use for cascading psychosocial disaster.
children below five years of age have allowed Opportunities for learning, growing and
the young ones to breathe freely. But what gaining social skills are being severely
about social distancing, and school closure? thwarted. There are reports that even devel
We have all but resigned to these two states of opmental milestones are getting delayed. A
being, as it were, but they continue to hold our seemingly simple task such as acquiring lan
young ones hostage within our very homes. guage needs a whole gamut of stimuli, which
Isn’t it time we think of ways of saving the includes the hearing of language, the sight of
Art: Sagrika khanna, 17, Gurgaon
young generation from the intangible demons muscle and joint movements producing
unleashed by COVID-19? speech, and the accompanying facial expres
Medical literature considers SARS-CoV-2 a sions and gestural components. Mere expo
predominantly adult infection; chances of sure to a screen might not be sufficient to
children getting infected remain significantly ensure a healthy development of the lan
Dr Suravi Patra
lower than those for adults. In general, chil guage faculty. Developing the ability to rec
is Additional Professor, dren are not the source of infection for their ognise human emotions in all its myriad
Psychiatry, parents; it is usually the parents who infect nuances needs social interactions; communi
AIIMS, Bhubaneswar their children. Even if the children are in cation skills also need social opportunities.
fected, they suffer mild symptoms. Severe In the crucial phase of infancy, environmen
symptoms are seen in children with coexist tal stimulation is essential to make the brain
26 outlook | jun e 28, 202 16 ft
grow structurally to its full potential. It is ing an increase in suicidal behaviour in chil-
well-known that limited exposure to appro- dren and adolescents, raising concerns across
priate cognitive and social stimuli during the world. A research paper that compiled
vital periods of an infant’s life usually re- emergency psychiatry service use across 10
sults in delays and deviance in cognitive and European nations reported a rise in adoles-
social-communication development. cent self-harm behaviour from 50 per cent in
Medical research has established that dur- 2019 to 57 per cent in 2020. In the Indian
ing the SARS epidemic of 2003, Chinese in- set-up, clinical psychiatry services have been
fants experienced a delay in walking, badly hit, with only a few specialised centres
speaking, attaining toilet training, and did being able to provide online services.
P
not gain age-appropriate weight and height.
Only time will reveal the damaging effects sychiatrists and policymakers are
our Covid-related social restrictions will joining hands towards creating a
have on the generation of ‘pandemic babies’. framework plan for mental health sup-
Now, what’s true for cognitive development port during the pandemic. Efforts have been
among babies is extendable, in qualified ways, made to provide online guidance to parents,
to adolescents: they are losing vital avenues caregivers, service providers, children and
for growth and development. The adolescents S u r e s h K . Pa n d e y adolescents to tide over this crisis.
are now earning the name of ‘the lost genera- International agencies like WHO and
tion’. Forced social distancing is critically for self-growth. Adolescents report learning networks has provided the perfect ingredients UNESCO have made available parent tips on
compromising their physical and psychologi- new skills, spending precious time with fam- for toxic stress, adversity, the experience of ensuring a daily schedule, sharing informa-
cal growth. This crucial period where adoles- ily, and even providing a helping hand in the loss of caretakers, prolonged abuse/neglect, tion about Covid-19 with children, how to
cents already struggle with establishing their household. The protective factors of belong- and has even blocked access to social support take care of the self and the kids. Parenting
identity is a phase of turmoil. Under normal ing to a secure home with a stable income— and child welfare services. How COVID-19 has support in graphics, audio-visual aids, comics
Psychiatrists circumstances, this tumultuous phase works which also ensures online learning precipitated an all-round disruption in social and e-posters are also available for free ac-
and policy- as a bedrock for many emotional, psychologi- opportunities—provide a psychological structures, and how that’s producing toxic psy- cess to help parents in home-schooling, and
cal and behavioural disorders. Some 50 per buffer to some well-to-do adolescents. chological stress for the young ones, needs to even manage mental health issues in chil-
makers are cent of all mental disorders appear by adoles- However, restrictions in socialisation are re- be better understood. Being exposed to toxic dren. The website https://www.covid19par-
joining hands cence. The future mental health trajectory of ducing opportunities for adolescents in gen- stress at this tender age disturbs the arc enting.com/audiovisuals offers a big bag of
the adolescent is determined by environmen- eral to create their self-image, improve their hitecture of the growing brain. Connections options for parents to help their kids at
towards cre- tal factors shaping their gene expressions. self-esteem, build on peer interactions and between neurons in the brain regions—par- home. For infants and young children,
ating a frame- Among those factors now, count a pervasive communication skills. The skills involved in ticularly the prefrontal cortex and hippocam- https://data.unicef.org/topic/early-child-
fear of Covid infection, isolation, quarantine, joining in conversations, holding an argu- pus, which are crucial for emotional regulation hood-development/covid-19/ from UNICEF
work plan for enforced distancing, reduced opportunities ment and conflict resolution need social op- and memory—are reduced due to the experi- and https://reachupandlearn.com/package
mental health for social contact, loneliness. Think of it as a portunities. Social solitude is setting the ence of toxic stress. The absence of resil- from the University of West Indies contain
pandemic of insecurity and fear—a hidden stage for loneliness, stress, anxiety and de- ience-promoting factors like environmental excellent parent manuals and audio-visual
support during psychological pandemic. pression. Those belonging to poor house- support, nurturance by caregivers and the psy- aids to provide stimulating environments at
the pandemic. The effects are already visible. High levels holds, whose parents have lost a stable source chological security provided by parents and home that can enhance learning for young
of psychological stress, anxiety, depression of income or who were already living in ad- teachers further increases the risk of develop- kids in different age groups.
and post-traumatic stress disorder are being verse situations with abusive caretakers, have ing future mental disorders. Structural With adverse household situations, loss of
reported in this vulnerable population. A re- lost the respite that was earlier provided by changes in the brain and lack of protective fac- income, not having supportive parents and or-
cent study published in The Lancet schools, colleges, playgrounds, teachers and tors at a young age can cause depression, sub- phanhood, our children are becoming vulner-
Psychiatry from Iceland has documented trainers. The second wave has orphaned over stance use, anxiety, obesity, and physical able to abuse, neglect, child labour, child
the ongoing mental health deterioration 30,000 children across India; the National diseases like diabetes and heart diseases later marriage and even trafficking. It is for the poli-
A r t : J i a D u s h y a n t V a s a n i , 5 , G u r ga o n
among adolescents—the study is unique in Commission for Protection of Child Rights in life. The prevailing circumstances have cymakers to prepare a safety net for protecting
comparing mental health facts relating to (NCPCR) collects and maintains the data at a forced clinicians to provide their services on our precious future generation from falling
adolescents during the pandemic with the state level. The ‘Bal Swaraj portal’ of the an online delivery model, with various clinical into the trap of poverty and deprivation. The
pre-Covid period. The authors found an in- NCPCR collated data in which 2,902 children interventions provided on the e-platform. welfare services planned by the government of
crease in rates of depression and worsening in the 0-3 years age group, 5,107 in the 4-7 age Tele-helplines are also being functioned to India are a laudable approach; however, much
all-round indices relating to mental well-be- group and 4,908 in the 14-15 group have lost a help kids in crisis; an Australian helpline de- needs to be done to strengthen the support
ing among the ‘lost generation’. However, parent, are orphaned or abandoned. The signed for kids reports an escalation of calls system around the vulnerable child. Provision
rates of smoking and alcohol intoxication NCPCR is working on providing welfare ser- during the Covid period. Calls related to infec- for mental support needs to be integrated with
decreased during the pandemic, which natu- vices and facilities for adoption. tion, mental health concerns, relationship nutrition, housing, safety and education for
rally owes to reduced socialisation. Earlier, for vast numbers of children in problems and suicidal/self-harm showed an children. Only then can we look forward to
Now, decreased socialisation may be prov- India, schools used to be the only source of increasing trend. Among the helpline callers, safeguarding the future of our precious young
ing beneficial for some adolescents; some nutritious meals and learning opportunities. adolescent girls constituted the majority. generation. Otherwise, what we will be giving
seem to be able to take this as an opportunity The closure of schools and other extended Emergency psychiatry services are document- our children is a form of social orphanhood. O
28 outlook | jun e 28, 202 1 Outlookindia.com june 28 , 2021 | outlook 29You can also read
