About 19% of children suffer psychosocial disabilities- By Rajenthiran Atheesan
Source:Ceylontoday
About 19 per cent of children residing in homes for children, child care facilities and juvenile facilities in the Northern region, exhibit signs of psychosocial disabilities, according to a Census and Statistics Department report of 2019, issued on 24 January 2022.
The report was jointly compiled by the Census and Statistics Department and the Department of Probation and Child Care Services in 2019 and released in 2022. Vulnerability to respiratory and heart-related diseases is also observed among children in the Northern region, as outlined in the comprehensive report of the Department of Census and Statistics.
Commenting on these findings, Psychiatrist Sivadas Sivasubramanium, Consultant to the Ministry of Health, said, “If 19 per cent of children in government-registered institutions exhibit such conditions, the prevalence in the community could be even higher.” Responding to inquiries regarding the provision of psychiatric treatment to victims of the war and whether medical assistance, mainly for trauma and psychiatric treatment, was offered to them, he remarked, “Certainly not. The government lacks adequate facilities for psychiatric treatment, and it does not prioritise the matter from a public health perspective.”
Regarding the availability of psychotherapy for war victims, he noted, “At the outset, there were opportunities for that, but currently, under the established policy that there is no ongoing conflict in Sri Lanka, there is no opportunity. Even now there is a possibility to treat them on psychological issues.”
The psychiatrist added that depression and suicidal feelings can be passed down through generations in the war-torn region, contributing to the current high rates of domestic violence and suicide in the post-war environment in the North. He said, “Yes, it can pass to the next generation. Violence and suicides have increased due to the breakdown of social bonds in the Tamil community and the psychological impact of the war.”
When asked why international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) don’t do more for war-affected people, he responded, “Their psychiatry is only suitable for Western countries. They have not adapted it to our people’s vulnerability.” It was outlined in such a context, that the psychosocial disabilities in children could be impacted as a secondary effect of the 30 years of war in the Northern region.
The statistics show that children in these homes mainly suffer from illnesses such as heart and respiratory-related issues. Currently, there are 41 children’s homes in the Northern Province, making it the third-highest number in the country, with 10 per cent of them located in this province. Most of these child care homes are situated in the Jaffna and Kilinochchi Districts.
While various homes and schools cater to different care needs for children, the Census and Statistics Department has noted that there is no specific school for girls residing in juvenile detention centres in the Northern Province.
In the Northern Province, 16 homes have been identified for children of school-going age. However, out of these institutions, three either have schools within their premises or send children to schools located outside their institutions. Conversely, 13 institutions, that operate homes for children, have been identified as not sending their children to school.
Regarding the mental well-being of children in these homes, the government has implemented several action plans, with approximately 90 per cent of them directed towards aiding these children. However, it has been revealed that four institutions have not been obligated to adhere to such action plans and work programmes in the Northern Province.
