More students are seeing doctors because of stress from school and homework activities pressed by their parents, psychologists said.
At least sixty percent of patients in Lighthouse Arabia mental health care, for instance, are students from primary to high school, according to Dr. Saliha Afridi in a report.
The World Health Organization (WHO) also reported that 10 to 20 of adolescents worldwide suffer from depression or anxiety.
Afridi said children find a hard time to develop themselves or form relationships because of so many activities, which can develop these feelings inside them.
“Yes it’s important that kids do well, that they work hard in school, but that should not be at the expense of free time, play time, unstructured mind wandering time,” the physician said as quoted by The National, adding that many parents push their children too hard on activities like music or sports trainings.
According to Afridi, structured activities like these and homework pressure actually go against contemporary research.
“The parents’ relationships with the kids is undervalued and we’re investing heavily into their CVs, but not in the relationships, and it’s showing,” she said.
Parents are encouraged to nourish not just their academic standing but their emotional growth as well.
Photo credit: Motherhood in Style
