Die begin van ‘n nuwe skooljaar kan tot angs en depressie aanleiding gee. Van die grootste redes hiervoor is die onbekende omgewing, druk om te presteer, verandering in roetine, skeidingsangs, minder vryheid, onsekerhede, verandering van slaap-patrone, ens.

Die meeste kinders kan nie hulle gevoelens hieroor verbaliseer nie en word die probleem nog groter.

2017 het vir (jou &) jou skoolkind begin ...

simptome van terug-skool-toe-angs hoof- en maagpyn • slaapprobleme • duimsuig • bed natmaak • aggressiewe gedrag • back chat sy/haar ouers • staak sportdeelname • skoolafwesigheid hoër • swak selfbeeld a.g.v. angstigheid • onderpres-teer en ongemotiveerd om in klas deel te neem.

"Rather than sadness, depression tends to look more like irritability in kids. Unfortunately, many parents think their child's agitation stems from adolescent mood swings, and a child's depression goes undiagnosed."

BACK-TO-SCHOOL

MINIMISE YOUR CHILD’S

ANXIETY & DEPRESSION

[Although the following is maybe more relevant for primary school kids, teenagers can benefit from it too.]

NORMALISE

it is important they know these anxious feelings are normal

these feelings subside once the newness of school wears off and the school schedule becomes routine

PREPARE (BEFORE 1ST TERM STARTS) decide on bedtime and wake-up time

transport: who is picking them up

play dates with friends or peers who are in same grade

day before first school day: ensure that the school bag is packed, school clothes are laid out and lunch box options are made

Children who are hungry, rushed or feel as though they are not prepared for school may experience more anxiety.

STAY CALM Model a calm, organised approach and focus on the positive elements of new experiences.

ENCOURAGE tell your child that many other children

at school are anxious too

do not assure them with “Don’t worry!”

or “Everything will be fine!” Encourage

your child to think of ways to solve his

or her problem.

SUFFIECIENT SLEEP is one of the best ways to help your child

manage anxiety and depressed feelings.

primary school learners need ± 9 to

11 hours and

high school learners ± 8 to 10 hours.

[Mayo Clinic] Besoek www.anxietybc.com vir meer inligting.

Depressie het ‘n al groter (en

negatiewer) uitwerking by die werkplek: “Mental illness in the workplace leads to decreased productivity, increased sick-related absenteeism, poor work quality, wasted materials and even compro-mised workplace safety.“ dr Ali Hamdulay (SADAG)

COMMON COGNITIVE SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION AT WORK

poor concentration

easily distracted

poor memory/forgetfulness

indecisiveness

slower thinking speed

problem solving difficulties

struggling to find the right words to

express your thoughts

negative or distorted thinking

patterns

FIVE WAYS COMPANIES CAN HELP

Educate employees on depression and especially how cognitive symptoms can affect work perfor-

mance.

Raise awareness of any existing employee assistance programmes AND emphasise that they can

help with mental health problems, like depression, too.

Promote a culture of acceptance around depression and other psychiatric disorders – they are no

different to cancer, diabetes or asthma. Depression is an illness.

If an employee shares their struggle with depression, refer them to a mental healthcare professional

and reassure them the illness can be treated.

Explore creative ways to support an employee’s recovery, like flexible/adjusted working hours or

working from home for a while.

“Wanneer ‘n depressievegter by die werk is, is hy

5 keer minder produktief as een wat tuis is

om van depressie te probeer herstel.” Dr Korb,

psigiater

74% ervaar depressiesimptome:

vergeetagtig, besluiteloos, min konsentrasie.

18 dae per jaar wat werknemers a.g.v. depressie

siekteverlof geneem.

80% neem verlof a.g.v. depressie waarvan 32%

nie ‘n rede vir die verlof gegee het nie.

25% bestuurders weet hoe om werknemers

met depressie te hanteer.

1 uit 4 werknemers is deur ‘n professionele terapeut

met depressie gediagnoseer.

54% neem langer om eenvoudige take te voltooi. Statistiek is gebaseer op navorsing waaraan 1061

respondente in 2015 deelgeneem het. [SADAG]