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Childhood Disability Screening Tools [PDF 350KB]
 The
survival of children in most Low and Middle income countries has improved,
and the focus is now shifting to optimizing the development of children.
There are an estimated 200 million children in the world who have a
disability, and the bulk of these children live in Low and Middle income
countries. Living in these countries places children at risk for disability
due to poverty related health factors, such as anemia and malnutrition. It
also leaves them with the additional burden of the stigma associated with
disability.
This review looks at studies that describe screening or
monitoring instruments for the identification of disability in children in
Low and Middle Income countries. The parameters used to analyze these studies
comprise of both - those that need to be applied to all screening tools, as
well as those which are especially relevant to Low and Middle income
countries, like those in the South East Asia
region.
Adolescence has frequently been
called “the tumultuous teens”. As defined by the World Health Organization,
adolescence is the period between 10 and 19 years. These are the formative as
well as impressionable years when the maximum amount of
physical, psychological and behavioural changes
take place. Adolescence is the transition from a “child” into an
“adult”. The “child” explores new
ideas, widens his/her horizons, and finally assumes greater responsibility
and an individual identity.
Healthy development of adolescents
depends on several interactive and complex factors. They include the
socioeconomic circumstances in which a person is born, the environment in
which he/she grows up, his/her inter-personal relationships within the
family, peer group pressure, values of the community in which he/she lives
and the opportunities for education and employment.
Despite the multitude of factors
which can influence the development of adolescents, their mental well-being
is crucial. Adolescents must learn how to cope with psychological stress,
handle peer pressure, deal with their emotions, resolve conflicts, build
bridges with friends and family, develop self-confidence, safeguard
themselves from high pressure marketing strategies, particularly of the
alcohol industry, as well as cope with other stresses like academic
competition and a hankering for material gains. However, rarely are these
sensitive issues addressed in schools and within families.
The programme on adolescent mental
health being developed by the Health and Behaviour Unit in the Regional
Office for South-East Asia attempts to meet
the psychological needs of adolescents as they pass through “a difficult
period” in their lives. To promote positive mental wellbeing amongst
adolescents, H&B Unit has developed eight modules entitled Coping
with Stress, Conflict
Resolution, Strengthening
Interpersonal Relationships, Handling
Peer Pressure, Enhancement
of Self -confidence, Dealing
with Emotions, Alcohol
use and abuse, and a Trainers’
Guide for implementation of these modules. These modules have been tested
in India, Indonesia and Thailand and found to be very
successful. These modules are meant to serve as resource material for
trainers in conducting life skills sessions for adolescents. The modules have
been printed and a consultant is available for “Training of Trainers” for implementation
of these modules on nationwide basis in Member Countries.
Technical Meetings
 Concept
of Mental Health Promotion and Developing Country-Specific Plans for Mental
Health Promotion – Report of the Regional Workshop, Bangkok, Thailand, 17-19
November 2005 [PDF 170 KB]
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