Do not put your baby in a pressure cooker

Teen suicides, which were previously unheard of, are now a disturbing trend. Globally, suicide is the third leading cause of death among people aged 15–29. This requires a better understanding of this behavior because by discussing the developmental and psychological challenges that children face during their school years, effective suicide prevention strategies in this age group can be developed.

Dr Hamed al Sinawi, senior consultant psychiatrist at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, said the suicide could be attributed to mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and other mental disorders. The family environment may also play a role, especially when there are dysfunctional family dynamics, abuse or neglect.

“Academic pressure and high expectations from parents and peers, as well as fear of failure or getting a low score, can also lead to suicidal behavior. Bullying is another factor that needs to be addressed, whether it is physical abuse, verbal abuse or cyberbullying, as there is evidence linking bullying to poor mental health, which increases the risk of suicide. School-age children experiencing social isolation are also at risk because they are more likely to feel lonely and have difficulty forming relationships.”

He goes further, adding that the easy availability of suicide attempt methods and television films and music videos depicting suicide also provoke self-harm. Many of the factors mentioned above contribute to the situation in Oman, in particular bullying, which can have a devastating impact on young people.

N Nandhini, a psychotherapist, says she has seen firsthand how academic and social pressures can affect a child’s well-being through her elder son. “He struggled to balance studies, play and friendships and it began to affect him emotionally. We decided to enroll him in boarding school to give him more space to develop and socially interact, and we have noticed a remarkable positive difference.”

Dr. Sinawi suggests that certain preventive measures should be implemented to address suicidal behavior, starting with awareness programs for parents and teachers to be on the lookout for behaviors that may cause emotional distress to a student.

“The school should also adopt strategies to deal with bullying. One may ask, are school children nowadays no longer strong enough to face adversity? In my opinion, parenting style has changed over the years. We see more and more overprotective parents who provide their child with everything he needs, which teaches him that everything is available, and when he is faced with a difficult reality, he does not know how to deal with it. Additionally, parents who demand high grades from their children place them under more stress, and the child is constantly preoccupied with how not to disappoint his or her parents.

Dr. Vijay Ram Naresh, psychiatrist, raises several points that will answer all the questions that parents face when helping their children cope with adversity, which is a social/cognitive skill just like any other skill.

“Will our children ever learn to swim if we just go to the pool or the sea without taking them with us? You can’t learn to swim without getting into the water and getting wet. “

Secondly, both the school and the parents are not ready to accept the extent of normality and uniqueness of the individual. Lata Mangeshkar has never played cricket. Sachin Tendulkar never tried to sing. But now every parent wants their child to be the best (well-rounded) in everything. It definitely causes stress, he said.

“Thirdly, exposure to social media has increased the ‘fear of missing out, FOMO’ element in children, so the current generation is also stressed from within,” Dr. Vijay said.

The combination of these factors makes our “ext generation” more stressed and vulnerable, he said.