Family hotline run by child psychologists reveals widespread lack of communication between children and their parents
A 6-year-old girl who called a new family hotline (801.801.1177) for two or three afternoons in a row said she felt lonely and «needed a friend to talk to.» A lack of communication, above all with parents, is one of the problems most frequently encountered by children and teenagers, while parents often don’t know how to treat their children at different stages of their development. A hotline run by the Association for Children’s and Teenagers’ Psychosocial Health has received about 800 calls since opening last June. The overwhelming majority of the calls (about 78 percent) are from parents – chiefly mothers – seeking advice about their relationship with their children. Over 60 percent of the calls concerned boys, and 58 percent were about children aged over 12. About 15 percent of calls were made by children, most of them wanting advice about their relationship with their parents, in particular, a lack of communication. In all, a third of the calls dealt with the issues parents come up against in daily life with their children that can be described as coming under the title «parental role.» «These could range from how to leave one’s child on his or her first day at kindergarten or school to how parents can set limits for their children, or how to deal with sibling rivalry,» explained Sofia Vgenopoulou, the child psychiatrist who is in charge of the service. About 17 percent of calls concern problems in children’s relationships with their parents or other members of the family. Child abuse accounts for about 3 percent of calls and development and maturation (such as autism and intellectual disability) and learning difficulties 10 percent. Another 21 percent concern mental health problems among children. Among teenagers, 27.8 percent of calls concern emotional disturbances and mental health issues and almost 10 percent eating disorders. The line officially opened on June 6, 2005 after a four-month preparatory period and a study of how similar phone lines operate in other European countries. Five child psychiatrists, three clinical psychologists and a health visitor currently man the phones. «Our goal,» said Vgenopoulou, «is prevention and for the line to be a source of information and awareness for anyone who calls on any subject of psychosocial health relating to children and teenagers.» «A very important part of our work is that we give people a chance to realize that they can do something about their problem. Often, it helps people just to listen to themselves analyzing the problem. In that way they come to a better understanding of what it is all about, a positive experience that encourages them to look further for help. «I think the most important aspect of our work is to know how to listen. «We want to empower the caller, who of course has already taken a major step toward improving his situation by making the call, to find a solution, and follow it up in the way that suits him best.» Callers can be referred to other expert mental health services. «Whenever we think further action is needed, we have a detailed list of mental health services we can pass on to those who need them, but more than half the callers have not needed to be referred elsewhere.»
