The Impact of Conflict and Crises on Children’s Mental Health: Challenges and Solutions

Hebah Muhammad  – Sawt Al-Amal (Voice of Hope)

Yemen is suffering from a stifling humanitarian crisis that weighs heavily on children and adolescents in particular. In light of difficult living conditions, insecurity, and the disintegration of the social fabric, survival from looming dangers becomes an obsession that dominates all their thoughts, leaving little room for dreams and aspirations.  Despite the resilience they may show, armed conflicts inflict severe psychological harm on children, including post-traumatic stress disorder, and impede cognitive and emotional development.

The Mental Health of Children and Adolescents

For her part, Ahlam Muhammad Al-Awadhi, Professor in the Department of Psychological Counseling, Ibb University, says: “Achieving psychological peace during childhood opens doors to exploring their developmental and emotional milestones healthily. It allows children to acquire healthy social skills that help them build positive relationships with others, teaches them how to overcome challenges and difficulties, and enables them to excel in their home, educational and social environments.”

She explained that the negative impact on children’s mental health leads to fundamental changes in their ability to learn, behave, and deal with emotions and others, casting a shadow over various aspects of their lives, resulting in feelings of distress, difficulties in learning and concentration, and behavioral disorders. It is common for children to experience fears and anxieties at times, or to exhibit disturbing behaviors, affecting their performance at home, school, and in social settings.

Regarding the mental health of adolescents and the psychological changes that occur, Al-Awadhi pointed out: “Adolescence is also a formative transitional stage in which the adolescent undergoes physical, psychological, and emotional changes, and finds himself stuck between two stages; childhood and adulthood. They are neither an adult nor a child to be accepted in their society, and it is a stage of searching for oneself and the desire to feel belonging. Therefore, an adolescent who enjoys mental health can overcome this stage safely.”

“During adolescence, young people also face many challenges that significantly impact their lives and pose challenges in various aspects. One of these challenges is choosing a specialization or future profession, as they find themselves under pressure to make a decision that affects their professional future,” according to Al-Shilh.

He stated that their mental health could be enhanced through religious guidance programs, especially since the religious aspect plays a fundamental role in building an individual’s personality, achieving balance and psychological stability, and building a sound role model capable of fulfilling all their roles in life and facing challenges and difficulties.

Children and Adolescents Amid the Conflict

“In the context of ongoing conflicts and tragedies plaguing many countries, children and adolescents in Yemen face enormous challenges that affect their mental health and well-being, depriving them of safety and stability, and exposing them to violence, poverty, and displacement, leaving deep scars on their fragile psyche,” Al-Shilh pointed out.

He also explained that children and adolescents face numerous challenges in understanding their emotions, and these challenges depend largely on the environment in which they live. In a positive and supportive environment, the journey of understanding emotions becomes easy, contributing to their growth and development at various levels. However, in a negative environment, understanding emotions becomes a difficult task that may hinder their growth and negatively affect their mental abilities, understanding of their surroundings, and ability to share their activities with others. Therefore, they need to develop these emotions and feelings, as well as their emotional and social intelligence through scientific and organized training programs.

According to psychotherapist Dr. Mursila Al-Awadhi, specialized mental health hospitals in Sana’a are witnessing a significant increase in the number of patients after the conflict. With children under the age of fourteen estimated at 44% of Yemen’s population, children are particularly vulnerable to mental illness due to their extreme vulnerability and response to conflict.

She added that studies indicate that more than two million Yemeni children of school age are not enrolled in schools, reflecting the negative impacts of the conflict on their education and psychological development. Surveys conducted in Sana’a, Aden, Taiz, and Abyan showed an increase in feelings of fear, insecurity, anxiety, and anger among children. 31% of children also suffer from physical symptoms such as headaches, chest and abdominal pain, and fatigue, which are indicators of the psychological pressures they face.

She continues: “Studies also show clear differences in the severity of psychological symptoms between regions, generally related to the intensity of the conflict in those areas. Data indicates that 5% of children suffer from involuntary urination, 2% suffer from stuttering, 47% suffer from sleep disorders, 24% face difficulty concentrating, and 17% experience panic attacks. These symptoms reflect the magnitude of the mental health challenges facing Yemeni children.”

Regarding official statistics on children suffering from psychological trauma, Dr. Ahlam Muhammad confirms that there are no official statistics in Yemen that clarify the psychological problems of children and adolescents. However, in general, according to the World Health Organization, which called for the protection of children in armed conflicts, 10% of people who have experienced traumatic events will later suffer from symptoms of trauma. In comparison, another 10% will develop changes in behavior or psychological conditions that prevent them from performing their daily functions.

Challenges and Difficulties

Regarding the current challenges facing the promotion of mental health among children and adolescents in Yemen, Al-Shilh emphasizes that the difficult economic conditions cast a negative shadow on their mental health due to the impact of families suffering from a lack of income and difficulty in providing for living expenses.

He added that the challenges facing the promotion of mental health for children and adolescents in Yemen are not limited to economic aspects only, but also include family challenges represented by the separation of parents or the loss of one, which affects children’s sense of instability and security, which may negatively impact their mental health.

The challenges become more difficult for children suffering from certain mental health disorders. Dr. Ahlam explains that the challenges lie in the lack of understanding of the child’s condition by those around them, which may lead to dealing with them in a wrong way that exacerbates the problem.

She pointed out that common mental disorders among children in Yemen include developmental disorders, such as autism, where children with autism suffer from difficulties in communication and social interaction, which may lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness, and behavioral disorders, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which may negatively affect their academic achievement and social relationships.

She stressed that the journey of making mental health a priority in Yemeni society is still long and arduous due to the lack of attention to mental health programs by the government and the lack of awareness of mental health issues and their importance, despite the prevalence of these problems in every home.

Mental health specialist Tayseer Al-Bariq also emphasizes these challenges, pointing out that children and adolescents in Yemen face many difficulties in understanding and processing their emotions due to the lack of societal awareness about the importance of mental health for children and adolescents, and the neglect by parents when they first notice behaviors incompatible with the family and the surrounding social environment.

Al-Bariq adds that most of the psychological programs available in Yemen are affiliated with organizations that are making efforts to improve the quality of services and reach the largest possible number of beneficiaries. However, she asserts that these programs will not achieve the desired success without societal awareness and support, as well as government support.

Treatments

“There are several programs offered by some international organizations that aim to promote the mental health of children and prevent disorders. These programs aim to enhance the individual’s ability to regulate their emotions, improve behaviors, acquire flexibility in managing difficult situations and adversities, and help children cope with their traumas,” Al-Awadhi pointed out.

She emphasized the importance of strengthening supportive social environments and networks that help children recover from trauma and grow properly. This includes providing child-friendly spaces that offer a range of integrated services for affected children, including psychological support with mental health professionals, and providing safe spaces for women and girls that offer excellent activities such as psychological support, awareness, training, empowerment, and referral to other services such as protection, health, or financial services as needed.

Comprehensive protection of children’s mental health in Yemen cannot be achieved without the cooperation and synergy of all stakeholders, starting with the government and organizations and ending with community members.

Mental health specialist Tayseer Al-Bariq stresses the importance of this cooperation, pointing out that stakeholders include the Ministry of Health, psychological counseling centers in universities and schools, and local and international organizations.

She also points to a successful experience of the Psychological Counseling Center at Ibb University and the Social Fund for Development branch in 2013-2014, where 21 guidance units were established in schools in the districts of Al-Dhahar and Al-Mashanna in Ibb Governorate.

She explains that enhancing cooperation between all stakeholders should include exchanging information and experiences, coordinating efforts, and providing joint training programs to ensure comprehensive and effective support for children and adolescents, along with integrating mental health promotion programs for caregivers of children and adolescents.

She clarifies the importance of integrating mental health promotion programs for caregivers of children and adolescents, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and parents, by developing educational and rehabilitation programs for children and adolescents. This includes integrating them into educational and academic life, providing school supplies in cooperation with the country and supporting organizations, and enhancing cooperation between official and security agencies and community organizations to raise community awareness about the importance of keeping children and adolescents away from conflicts, protecting their rights, and implementing rehabilitation programs for those affected by the psychological and social effects of conflicts or economic hardship.

Al-Shilh stresses the need for cooperation between official bodies and psychological counseling centers in universities to develop preventive and therapeutic programs for children who have been exposed to life pressures and the effects of war, especially in some affected cities and governorates.

He calls on all teachers, preachers, security officials, counselors, country leaders, stakeholders, parents, media professionals, and all those who play a role in raising awareness and caring for the mental health of children and adolescents, to work together to reduce the psychological and behavioral problems they face. To achieve this, awareness campaigns, educational programs, seminars, and workshops for teachers and parents should be organized.

Al-Shilh points out the need to enhance cooperation between schools, hospitals, health centers, and non-governmental organizations by forming joint task forces that bring together these institutions to exchange knowledge and experiences, and direct efforts towards providing the necessary psychological support and treatment for children and adolescents.