Tuesday 29 May 2018

The Sad Story of Depression Faced by Street Children




Depression is a serious disease and in the current landscape, it is reaching on an alarming level. No major efforts are being taken to deal with it. It is a problem that is steadily rising. This following incident by counseling psychologist shall bring you closer to issues related to depression, anxiety and PTSD.

A young girl Seema was brought to a full care residential centre in Delhi after being abandoned by her foster family. Reasons for abandoning were her recurring mood swings. As such efforts were not taken to win her confidence and keep her, rather, the family quickly shipped her to a shelter. It was noticed that she was keeping to herself and used to harm herself as well. She was sent to Salaam Baalak Trust and was given formal education. The team working on her gave her own space wherein she could vent out her feelings. The trust offered her ways through which she could showcase her strength. This way, Seema was able to take charge of her life, though, issues were not resolved fully.

As per the counseling psychologist, there are several children like her in the trust. It is saddening to realize that there are many street children who suffer from anxiety disorders, depression, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In fact, the counselor has tracked autism cases also among children.

This opportunity gave a lot of psychologists become mental health professionals and meet with different kinds of mental health requirements. With respect to mental health status in India, very less research has been done till date. Since, not much effort is done, so a lot of people are actually not aware what these children actually go through. It is crucial to work on street children education activities.

It is extremely important that lot of research should take place to understand the grim reality of the special children. It is important to spread awareness regarding the issues and let the common people participate in helping these children. As per a research done during July and August 2010 by Institute for Human Development and Save the Children, it is said that around 51000 were found to be street children in Delhi. A large ratio of this population is involved in child labour and most of them are said to be prone to abuse both mental and physical.

It can be said that a lot of home work needs to be done from the perspective of research. In this regard, Salaam Baalak Trust is doing a remarkable job in uplifting the standard of children living in deprived condition. If you wish to contribute, why don’t you start with volunteering? Visit the website today!