EFFECT OF PARENTAL SEPARATION ON MENTAL HEALTH STATUS OF CHILDREN OF AGE 6-16 YEARS, COMING TO PSYCHIATRY WARD OF PUBLIC SECTOR HOSPITALS, LAHORE

The trends in family composition have major implications in the life course of children and their mental well-being. A stable family is vital for sound development of the personality of children. Despite the increase in the trend of parental separation, there are few studies in Pakistan pertaining to the effects of parental separation on child health and even those do not provide a good insight. Therefore, it is a need of the hour to investigate these effects. For this purpose, a cross-sectional study was carried out among the children with such circumstances, of ages 6 - 16 years, visiting the psychiatry department of public sector hospitals of Lahore. A questionnaire was formulated and was filled by 98 participants. Analysis of the data collected showed that among these children, there is higher frequency of depression, violence, social, learning and moral deterioration. Most of them suffer from low self-esteem and have an increased tendency to self-harm. Thus the hypothesis that parental separation affects the mental health status of children negatively resulting in emotional and psychological disturbance was supported. So, there is a need of proper counselling of the children to make them understand the circumstances of separation. In addition to that, the platforms of print, electronic and social media should be employed to spread awareness on this subject. Public should be made aware of the drastic effects that an unstable familial environment brings to the mental well-being of children.