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(Nigeria) WHO declares one in 5 kids is mentally ill; many have "unexplained" chronic illnesses

July 21, 2018, Guardian: Identifying emotional, behavioural changes in your child https://guardian.ng/guardian-woman/identifying-emotional-behavioural-changes-in-your-child/ Is your child’s academic performance dwindling? Does you child react in some way that may seem weird from the norm? Has your once happy and active child now become reclusive? Then you may want to think toward an emotional and behavioural imbalance. While a lot of parents may not think that such traits can be linked to a mental disorder, it is therefore pertinent to rule out such when presented with similar symptoms. … According Ruqoyah Ogunbiyi, a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Professional, “Mental health discourse are just beginning to gather audience in Nigeria and indeed the world, thus it is no coincidence that the reaction of many when child mental disorders discourse arises is oftentimes stigmatizing. … She noted that the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that one in five children have a mental disorder. Emotional and behavioural disorders are most common and they increase the likelihood of academic underachievement and poor behaviour. Emotional disorders can be seen in children as early as 4 months and behavioural disorders as early as 3 years. … The founder of SaneMindng said that to determine emotional and behavioural disorders, one must be well equipped with knowledge of developmental milestones. “Developmental milestones are set of skills children attain as they grow. … Emotional/behavioural disorders could cause a child to become withdrawn or more talkative/hyperactive. So how well do you know your child? Sometimes, children may also show symptoms of emotional disorders in form of consistent, unexplained physical health condition. For example a child with depression may present with seizures all of a sudden. This is often differentiated from physical health problems because routine tests show no biochemical explanation of the illness hence unexplained physical health problems.”

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