Impacts of Social Changes to Child Mental Health: Perspectives from Taiwan.
Jane Pei-Chen Chang1)2)
1) Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
2) Department of Psychiatry, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
[Objectives]
To review the social changes over the past two decades and the impacts on child mental health in Taiwan.
[Methods]
To identify the social changes such as an increase in the number of foreign household helpers and international marriages, changes of the educational system, increment in utilization of internet and electronic communication, and social movements in the past two decades, and the impacts on lives of children and adolescents in Taiwan.
[Results]
Secondary to the social changes in recent years, children and adolescents in Taiwan are subjected to learn more than on language and adapt to different cultures at early age. Children and adolescents are more likely to be referred by school for psychiatric evaluation and medical help than 20 decades ago. On the other hand, while children in Taiwan are more likely to benefit from accessibility of internet/electronic communication, they are also more likely to suffer from the consequences. Lastly, adolescents are more likely to be involved in social movements in recent years.
[Conclusion]
Children in Taiwan are growing up in a fast pace due to the rapid changes of the country itself. Hence, it is important for the society to be made aware of the impacts these changes might have on the youths and their development.
Children of international marriages or who are cared by a foreign household helper often have to adjust to different cultures and are encouraged to learn a second or third language at early age. The changes in the educational system have helped to build connections with medical system to help children with learning disabilities. While the accessibility and affordability of internet/electronic communications has helped to facilitate the communication between school and parents, it has also caused many problems seen in clinical practice, such as internet addiction and school refusal. Lastly, the social movements in Taiwan
