world mental health day It is celebrated globally every year on 10 October. The day aims to raise awareness on mental health issues and provide support to people with mental health problems. World Mental Health Day was first observed on 10 October 1992 and was initiated by the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH).

The United Nations, the World Health Organization (WHO) and various mental health organizations around the world support this observance. Over the years, World Mental Health Day has become a day to remove the stigma of mental health and improve access to mental health care globally.

Screen has become an important part of everyone’s life. However, it is important to limit screen time as it can impact one’s mental health and this is true for children as well.

Mimansa Singh Tanwar, Clinical Psychologist and Head School Mental Health Program at Fortis National Mental Health Programme, explains how screen time can impact a child’s mental health.

Recent research has shown that increased screen time use in children has reduced direct parent-child interactions and is showing effects on their cognitive, language, and social-emotional development.

It also has psychological effects, increasing distractibility and impairing self- and emotional control. It also increases the chances of physical health concerns, disturbed sleep patterns, and mental health conditions like anxiety and depression.

“Given the widespread presence of screens in their lives, it is extremely important to take preventive steps by inculcating key life skills in children,” says Tanwar.

When children are going to use screens, they should be motivated to pursue other activities like reading, art, music and other extra-curricular activities.

They must include some form of sports and outdoor games as they learn important life skills through play. These important aspects that have always been a part of our childhood need to be maintained for children today as they play a vital role in building resilience and emotional well-being.

Set clear boundaries and limits on when and how much screens can be used, for example no screens an hour before bedtime or during study time. Discuss age-appropriate consequences for poor adherence to these expectations.

Given that they will be exposed to a wide variety of content, parents and schools need to focus on developing media literacy skills to filter the right information and understand the impact it has on their choices, lifestyle and belief systems. Needed

Parents should spend regular one-on-one time with children as this promotes emotional development. Children need a non-judgmental open space that allows them to free themselves from their worries and day-to-day challenges. There is no substitute for how healthy parent-child interactions can develop empathy, perspective taking, problem solving and positive self-esteem in children.

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