UNICEF Archives - Childline Thailand

Hidden Scars

Childline — Wed, 03 Aug 2022 16:09:21 +0000

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in various unprecedented crises including threats to people’s mental health. The significant impact of the pandemic on people’s mental health has led related studies to recommend that this issue should be treated as an international public health priority. The World Health Organization defines health as a “complete state of physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” This all-encompassing definition tells us that mental health is an integral part of one’s health and that it is beyond mental disorders or disabilities.

Children’s mental health and psychosocial well-being are influenced by several determinants. Social, psychological, and biological factors determine the state of their mental health at a given point in time. This includes the risks to the mental health of children exposed to violence. The 2020 report of the UN Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children (UN SRSG-VAC), Hidden scars: how violence harms the mental health of children, presents that the global prevalence of violence against children is estimated to be up to 1 Billion. The report shows the impact of different settings and various forms of violence on the mental health of children. It also stresses the intergenerational aspects of the relationship between violence and mental health, and how the impact of the former on children can be passed from one generation to the next, particularly for children who are exposed to child sexual abuse. Such exposure can cause both “immediate and long-term physiological and psychological damages to children.”

In 2020, Childline Thailand Foundation (CTF), a member organization of CRC Asia, reported that mental health issues are a leading concern for 41,493 children who sought their services through Helpline 1387. In response to the alarming situation of children’s mental health in Thailand, CRC Asia, together with its member organizations in Thailand, CTF and The Life Skills Development Foundation (TLSDF), seeks to raise public awareness of the linkages of violence on the mental health of children through the translation of the UN Special Representative of Secretary-General on Violence against Children’s Hidden Scars publication into the local language.

This effort also aims to support the development of the capacity of different stakeholders in Thailand such as civil society organizations, public and private health institutions and practitioners, government bodies in Thailand, academic organizations, and the general public, in addressing issues of children’s mental health and violence against children.

The post Hidden Scars appeared first on Childline Thailand.

Calling for Help: Thailand’s Mental Health Crisis

Childline — Thu, 14 May 2020 10:07:02 +0000

On the 13th May 2020 Thailand recorded no new COVID-19 cases, somewhat of a miracle considering our proximity to the outbreak source and the numbers of travellers entering Bangkok in the midst of the pandemic. It may be contained, for now, but these are still troubling times and two months of business and school closures have dealt a blow to some of Thailand’s poorest families. Of the 27 million people that registered for the government handout of 5000THB ($156) 16 million were approved but many of those confirmed are yet to receive the money. For those living on the poverty line, the sudden decline of tourism, closing down of commerce, services, bars and restaurants has had a dire financial effect.

Economic hardship can lead to strains on family relationships and children are all too often affected by parents suffering from frustration, desperation and depression. Childline Thailand’s Call Centre recently gave counselling to a teenager via social media; the youths family’s small business was losing money due to COVID-19 restrictions and they were feeling helpless. During the conversation it was revealed that financial pressure was causing suffering to their parents:

“Last night my father said that we should kill ourselves. We have received no support and the bank is calling everyday. We’ve had to sell all the possession in our house, we’re at the bottom of the sea- there’s nothing left”

A recent study by Chiang Mai University’s Humanities Faculty attributed as many as 38 suicides in Thailand to Coronavirus. This week a man in Pattaya climbed onto power lines and threatened to jump (Bangkok Post, 12th May), on 28th April a 59 year old woman drank a bottle of rat poison outside the Ministry of Finance and two university students died after jumping off a Bangkok bridge in a ‘Covid 19 related pact’ (Thethaiger 6th April).

Childline Thailand has seen an increase in calls during the last three months, from an average of 614 calls and chat sessions per month in 2019 to a record high of 2235 in April 2020. Calls and messages related to mental health now count for 26% of all requests for help. In a recent survey by UNICEF it was discovered that “Eight in 10 young people surveyed have said they are deeply worried about their family’s income and financial status.” This is a disturbing trend and one that is likely to continue in the coming months as the aftermath of COVID-19 is felt. We must prioritize the mental health of our children and make vital support services like Childline available for those who are ‘calling for help’.

For further information please contact info@childlinethailand.org

The post Calling for Help: Thailand’s Mental Health Crisis appeared first on Childline Thailand.