Factors Influencing Children's Mental Health Highlighted by IDAI

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Chair of the Central Board of the Indonesian Paediatric Society (IDAI), Piprim Basarah Yuniarto, stated that children’s mental health is influenced by factors such as parenting styles and pressure within the family and school environment.

“Parenting behaviour, where parents have certain targets and constantly pressure their children, creates an atmosphere where the child is under pressure,” he said during a webinar attended in Jakarta on Tuesday.

He therefore urged parents to strive to create a warm and affectionate atmosphere for their children and to apply the principles of nurturing, loving, and guiding in their upbringing.

“We often assume that children are not yet at an age to experience mental disorders or that they rarely experience them. But it turns out that is not the case; disorders in children are not easy to detect, so parents need to be sensitive,” he said.

Angga Wirahmadi, a member of the IDAI’s Growth and Development and Social Paediatrics Coordination Unit, added that adolescents also face factors that can trigger mental health problems.

“In this phase, various risk factors begin to form, both for physical illness and mental health,” he said.

He explained that adolescent mental health can be influenced by factors such as peer environment, school environment, social media use, and family conflict.

A student at MAN 3 Padang, aged 17, allegedly detonated a low-explosive homemade bomb in his school environment on Tuesday. The incident caused no casualties but led to panic within the school. Based on the investigation, the student was a victim of bullying. He learned to assemble the bomb from the internet and YouTube, purchased the materials and tools online, and assembled the device at home without the knowledge of other family members.