Psychologist Mirvat Salamah of the Qatar Foundation For Child and Woman Protection giving a lecture.
DOHA: Many teenagers suffer from depression, which pushes them away from their families and the society. It leads them to skipping school and even staying away from home, and can push them into bad company and, ultimately, a life of addiction and crime, said an expert from the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) while giving a lecture at the West Bay Health Center on behavioural disorders among students.
The health centre had organized two lectures on different aspects of the issue, including sexual harassment that students may be facing. About 20 social workers and nurses from schools attended the lectures.
Dr Ibrahim Abdul Al, a paediatrician from PHCC, said that the most common signs of behavioural disorders among teens were lack of attention, hyperactivity and depression. Studies have shown that about 25 percent of teens suffer from depression.
Early diagnosis by the family at home or by social workers and nurses at school can definitely help in curing the child and prevent any further negative repercussions that might affect his future, said Abdul Al, emphasizing the importance of raising awareness among families and specialists in this regard.
Psychologist Mirvat Salamah of the Qatar Foundation For Child and Woman Protection said child care was the main theme of a workshop jointly organised by the Foundation, health centres and schools. She added that the three bodies were also following up cases of behavioural disorders that might severely affect the academic performance and social interactions of a child.
She said direct observation of students was one of the easiest ways of spotting behavioural disorders. Students exposed to any type of sexual harassment might develop serious psychological problems, she added.
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