SERIOUS PROBLEMS CONNECTED WITH MENTAL HEALTH ARE NOTICED AMONG 7-15% OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH IN ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
Dec 04 2006

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 4, NOYAN TAPAN. Serious problems connected with
mental health are at present noticed among 7-15% of children and
youth in Armenia.

Maruk Yeghian, the Chairman of the Children’s Psychiatrists and
Psychologists, Doctor of Medical Sciences informed the Noyan Tapan
correspondent about it.

About 3000 children and youth at the age of 3-21 years old are at
present registered. But, in M.Yeghian’s words, according to rated
data, that number made in the republic about 30 thousand. Both
separate types of mental diseases and feeling of fear, fall of mood,
intention to commit suicide, different disorders of behaviour are found
among children. According to M.Yeghian’s observation, if attempts of
suicide and narcotism were not spread among Armenian youth before,
growth of similar cases has been noticed recently. Diseases connected
with mental health are in general curable: there are different types
of treatment: psychotheraphy, treatment with medicine, etc. But, in
M.Yeghian’s words, the Armenian society does not relate very seriously
to the problem of mental health. Particularly, in many cases parents
did not accept that their child has mental problems and connect his
strange behaviour simply with prank.