Pediatrician Daniel Becker explains why the current generation suffers more from mental problems and shows how to act
Mental health alarms for children and adolescents are not recent. Research confirms that the scenario has worsened with the Covid-19 pandemic (conclusion of the study carried out by the Institute for Health Policy Studies (Ipes) and the Cactus Institute).
We are talking about the “brutal” increase, in the words of pediatrician and health care practitioner Daniel Becker, of mental and emotional illnesses, such as anxiety disorders, depression, ADHD, psychosomatic illnesses, records of self-mutilation and suicide attempts. Becker also points to the growth of interpersonal violence, with more cases of bullying, as well as the increase in infectious diseases, low immunity and allergies.
“We are facing a situation that is identified as an emergency, and there are countries that allocate resources to this, opening a mental health psychiatric bed for children and adolescents, investing resources from the health system in prevention. [Brasil] too much,” he accuses, in an interview with Earth.
Bad conditions of modern life
A childhood and environmental advocate, Becker believes the causes of this disease scenario are well known. The problem is the living conditions and, with them, all the “toxic stress” to which these young people are subjected. The pediatrician listed what he considers the main reasons:
Poor coexistence between the family
Overwork, time spent commuting, and issues like burnout affect the time spent between parents and children. “He arrives home late, is exhausted and the few contacts he has are affected by the interference of the cell phone or television”, exemplifies the doctor.
nature deficit
Remember those parent and grandparent stories about playing outdoors? It is less and less frequent for current generations. As the doctor points out, children nowadays spend a lot of time confined to their homes, with no outdoor activities, which leaves room for a sedentary lifestyle.
Excess of screens
If the child rarely goes out, how to entertain him? The common outlet has been screens. Young people spend hours watching TV and/or accessing the Internet on their mobile devices. Worse: often this happens without adequate supervision, with them “exposed to all sorts of poisons and toxicities, from advertising to scams and vices”.
“This addiction goes through the fast videos of 15, 30 seconds that hypnotize the brain. The brain is passive there, it doesn’t work, it likes it. , without creativity, without imagination, without thinking, without reflection and, obviously , exposed to consumerism, very negative values, body image of very thin models”, critique.
Bad eating habits
Physical health also reflects the harm caused by modern life. This is due to feeding children who eat an excess of ultra-processed foods. “There is a brain-gut connection, so the lack of this natural food is very harmful for children because it makes the microbiome, i.e. the bacteria that are in the gut, a microbiome with a bad profile. This changes the mood and brain conditions,” explains the doctor.
The bill is for the entire company
The good news is that just as the problems have been identified, so have the remedies. The challenge is that the effort goes far beyond what the parents can do, since the work goes back to what the Statute of the child and adolescent says: taking care of them is the responsibility of the family, yes, but also of the public authorities and the society . .
This falls on the reality of schools, whose educational model is in check because it must include digital education, promote more spaces for outdoor games and exchanges and encourage artistic expression. The reality, in many educational institutions, is short breaks and few resources for off-campus activities, for example.
As for the state, the accusations address the need for public policies that include young people in society and favor their development. “We need to have urban planning aimed at children, create spaces suitable for play, recreation, sport… We need to close streets for playing at the weekend, build parks and squares, keep them easily accessible, illuminated, safe, with preserved toys” Becker says.
The goal of initiatives like these is to occupy public spaces, offering leisure and culture to families. It is also worth reviewing the life and work patterns so that these fathers and mothers have the time and conditions to accompany their children. For the pediatrician they are the antidotes to the disgusting confessions of modern life and can prevent serious illnesses and ailments in childhood and adolescence.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
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