Mental health

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Somalia

The identity crisis effect on mental health in Somalia

November 6 2020 - Hassan Muhammed, 27, was a street boy before he found a family to give him a home at SOS Children’s Village in Somalia. But like many parentless children, Hassan had to wrestle with his identity as a young man in Somali society – a question that can lead later to mental and behavioural problems.

Youth participation

Youth promotes online counselling technology

October 12 2020 - Moses Aiyenuro, 23, wants mental health support to be as accessible as an app on a smartphone. With the help of peers on the SOS Children’s Villages International Youth Coalition, he is getting support to realize his ideas.

Italy

Q&A: Covid's impact on child mental health

October 10 2020 - "Now that some time has passed, and many countries have entered a second or even third wave, we can see more clearly how the pandemic affects many areas of people’s lives," says Orso Muneghina, Head of International Programmes and Emergencies at SOS Children’s Villages Italy.

Nepal

‘Don’t worry about the beauty of your face’: a boy heals from visible and invisible scars.

October 9 2020 - When Raj* and his friends play touch and run or flick discs in a game of carrom, he is just like any other confident and outgoing seven year old. No one seems to notice the scars on his face and hands.

Peru

Healing the trauma of violence in Latin America

October 8 2020 - More than half of the children in Latin America experience domestic violence each year. In the world’s most violent region, emotional support is key to break the cycle of abuse.

Survey

Survey shows need for trauma-informed care

October 7 2020 - A new survey finds that more than half of caregivers lack the training and resources to understand how trauma affects children’s development and behaviour. The survey also emphasises the importance of stability and love in helping children who have been severely abused and neglected form new trusting relationships.

Nigeria

Siblings form new healthy memories despite childhood trauma

October 6 2020 - The painful memories of abuse Oba* suffered as a child often sneak into his consciousness, no matter his frantic efforts to bury them. “Therapy helped me identify the burning emotions from my childhood,” he says. “I was able to talk about the hurt, anger and self-hate that controlled me.”

Mental health

Pay attention to Covid-19’s impact on child mental health

October 5 2020 - The second wave of coronavirus infections rising across Europe means we need to remember what we learned from the first: that living through a pandemic can be hard on the mental wellbeing of children.

Mental Health

Q&A: Pandemic's impact on vulnerable children

April 17 2020 - "Being confined can be risky for vulnerable families," says Teresa Ngigi, an SOS mental health expert. "The risk of not having any external physical support could lead to child abuse cases since no one is witnessing this and reporting becomes difficult in that the abuser could constantly be present."

Iraq

Counselors help Iraqis deal with trauma

November 13 2019 - A mental health programme, supported by Janssen EMEA Fund, has helped more than 1,500 children and 1,300 adults since it started in 2016.

World Mental Health Day

A mother's struggle with depression

October 10 2019 - The World Health Organization states that one person worldwide dies every 40 seconds from suicide. Nina, a mother of three from Ukraine, did not see a way out until she got support from an SOS social worker.

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