Adolescent Mental Health Programme
Launched in Goa

Indian Academy of Pediatrics Goa State Chapter in collaboration with its central office and Adolescent Health Academy launched “Mission Kishore Uday”on 19th January at Kendriya Vidhyalay school Ponda.

Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of loss of young lives in the world and is also very common in our state.

Risk factors like broken love affairs, sexualabuse, strret andslumchildren, substanceabuse, adolescents with mental illness and with chronic disease are prone to take this extreme steps.

In order to make children, parents and teachers aware of warning signs, causative factors and preventive steps of suicideAdoloscent Health Academy with Indian Academy of Pediatrics launched this module. Dr Chandrika rao spoke to 143 adolescents from 8th to 12th standard on “Healthy Body Healthy Mind”She addressed issues like Stress, Resilience in teens, Life Skills and how to recognise warning signs of Suicide.

About 46 parents and teachers attended the session on “Building Resilience in Teens, Role of Parents and Teachers” by Dr. Yateesh Pujar. Dr Sushma Kirtani also spoke to parents and teachers on “Digital Parenting” and gave tips on web wise parents.Due to media revolution and digital boom, the parenting is become more challenging and difficult.

IAP goa chapter is going to carry this mission forward by conducting many such programmes for students and teachers for 2019.Dr Arvind Almeida president , Dr Ryan Dias Hon. Secretary IAP GOAState Chapter, Mrs Sangeeta Sharma, headmistress of K.V school, Dr. Rajendra Dev and Dr Nutan Dev along with other dignitaries participated.

IAP GOA STATE CHAPTER along with Adoloscent Health Academy will carry out such programs with school children all over the state throughout 2019, with the principal ambition of building resilience in teenagers and preventing Suicides, Involving both parents and teachers.

A workshop for pediatrician was also conducted at goa medical college the next day covering topics like adolescent stress, sexuality, depression, substance abuse, suicide etc, which was attended by 38 doctors, so as to train and sensitise the Pediatricians in handling Adoloscents in their busy schedule of Private Practice.