Head Chair: Avery Barkouras Vice Chair: Avi Khandelwal Moderator: Roxanna Tabatabai
Position papers will be due on February 5, 2021. The position paper format, and all other important conference documents, can be found on our conference website, http://lhhsconference.weebly.com/. Email all position papers to our committee email: [email protected]. Feel free to contact us via email if you have any questions or concerns!
Hello delegates! My name is Avery Barkouras and I will be your head chair! I am a senior at Laguna Hills High School and this is my fourth year being in the MUN program. I am the president of the Warming Hearts blankets for the youth club, vice president of my national charity group, and co-captain of the water polo and swim team. I love to spend time with my friends and hanging out at the beach or swimming in the pool. I hope to make your experience at the conference the best possible and I cannot wait to see all of you debate and discuss your amazing ideas!
Hello, delegates! I am Avi Khandelwal, and I will be your vice chair at this year’s Laguna Hills conference. I am a junior who attends Laguna Hills High School, and this is my third year in MUN. This is my second year as a chair and also my first year as a vice chair. In addition to MUN, I am the president of the Coding Club and a part of the baseball and basketball teams, National Honors Society, Asian Student Union, and a variety of other activities on campus. I look forward to hearing your creative solutions for the topic at hand.
Hello delegates, my name is Roxana Tabatabai and I’ll be your moderator! I am a junior and this is my third year of being a part of the MUN Program at Laguna Hills High school. I am a member of the YCACW, a junior instructor for martial arts, and hope to become a family doctor. I enjoy traveling with friends, baking, and practicing piano. I wish you all good luck at the conference!
Topic: Aiding the Mental Health of Adolescence during the Covid-19 Pandemic
Background The deadly virus, COVID-19 has struck a sense of fear over the world since its outbreak. Regular activities have been halted, creating instability and affecting everyone’s daily lives. These changes range from loss of jobs, decreased access to proper learning, and access solely to everyday necessities. Along with these modifications, the lockdown that came with the pandemic has taken a toll on the psychological health of those involved, prominently adolescents. The magnitude of the effect it has had on minors has also played into the factors of educational status, developmental age, being economically underprivileged, a pre-existing mental health condition, and if being quarantined. With 2.2 billion children in the world, 16% being aged 10 through 19, mental health of these adolescents is a pressing matter that more attention must be given to during this period of isolation and social distancing from the COVID-19 pandemic. It can be more difficult for adolescents compared to adults to have a change in routine. With education turning towards digital solutions, students are cut off from resources such as occupational, behavior, or speech therapy that they require. It also has a potential effect on their professional future due to lack of development of athletic and hands-on vocational skills they would usually receive from in person education. This puts stress on students trying to adapt while also thinking of the future. In addition, missing significant life events and being isolated from peers has also made students overall more disconnected, a symptom of depression. Safety and security both have been at risk during these times as well. Abuse and neglect towards minors in unsafe households has increased with stay at home orders. These factors only affect adolescents with previous mental illness history even more detrimentally, with 1.9 million adolescents previously diagnosed with depression, 4.4 million with anxiety, 6.1 million with ADHD, and 4.5 million with a diagnosed behavior problem.
UN Involvement The United Nations have persistently taken action to mitigate mental health issues amongst adolescents, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally, the UN Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG) published a brief, COVID-19 and the Need for Action on Mental Health, to highlight the urgency of the “mental health crisis” permeated by the pandemic. To follow this, the World Health Organization (WHO) hosted the Big Event for Mental Health in October of 2020. During this event, participants were educated on WHO's methodology for improving mental health in several countries and ensured that national and international leaders are facilitating such initiatives. Such UN policies are expected based on their past efforts. For example, in 2019, WHO and UNICEF held a joint consultation on the mental health of the youth in Florence; it was organized by the UNICEF Office of Research and inaugurates the Leading Minds for Children and Young People annual conference. The event was intended to spark innovative solutions and discuss needed changes. Additionally, it identified requisite resources to do so, including service delivery systems and new technologies and evidence, and aimed to generate a standard approach to resolving mental instability. In summation, the United Nations have and continue to take steps towards preventing poor mental health in children, and these endeavors have only intensified during the recent epidemic.
Country Blocs: African Bloc: Currently, the Covid 19 pandemic has been causing great dramatic halts for nations within Africa’s mental health treatment. With the majority of the medical assistant being focused in the physical care, there is little to no action to satisfy the needs of those who are mentally struggling. Many people in Africa are more prone to severe mental illness because of unmet needs and other barriers. In fact, these people are 10% more likely to experience psychological distress. Also, the lack of accessibility from health, educational, social, and economic resources contributes to the mental health issue. Mental health is not very thoroughly understood in the African bloc, and this lack of knowledge creates a stigma around it as well as a reluctance to seek care. In some places, it’s considered a punishment from God. Rather than health care, many African Americans seek help through faith, spirituality, and community. However, in regards to treatment for children, there have been some attempted solutions. The mhGAP-IG is being used on mobile devices in Kenya to offer treatment despite travel barriers. Also, Kenya has been promoting mental health awareness by establishing clubs and models in schools, educating parents, and encouraging more interaction between home and school. Additionally, to help detect more cases of mental illnesses, health workers as well as faith healers are being trained to identify suspected cases. Asian Bloc: Reports by WHO say that 10-20 percent of children in Asia endure mental health problems during these pandemics; however, less than a third seek help because many people receiving mental health treatment in the Asian Pacific bloc are looked down upon as “crazy.” It’s perceived to bring shame to them and their family and contradicts the value of interdependence. For those who do seek treatment, many nations in the Asian/Pacific bloc are looking to deinstitutionalize in order to provide a more effective, peaceful experience. However, there is a treatment gap reflecting the lack of treatment in the past. In recent years, the establishment of the Asia Pacific Community Mental Health Development (APCMHD) in 2014 has demanded for more funds and policies for better mental healthcare. Additionally, in Singapore, the REACH program has also been instituted to support school-going children with their mental health needs. In addition, the pandemic has also brought upon an influx of people forced to live in poverty, which leads to severe stress and anxiety.
Latin Bloc: Poor mental health has shown to be a barrier to development in nations in Latin America. Neurological and mental diseases account for almost ¼ of the disease burden. Mental illness can also cause decreased productivity as many people “miss work and produce less.” Furthermore, many people living in poverty are more prone to mental illness because of a lack of resources. However, these very same people have the most limited access to healthcare; less than 15% of kids receive treatment. Nevertheless, many Latin American regions only devote less than 2% of the overall health budget to mental health. Despite the stigma and lower budget, treatment has expanded where it is available. In response to announcements from PAHO (Pan American Health Organization), almost 80% of countries have plans and programs for those who need them. A study has shown that 27% of children feel anxiety and 15% are experiencing depression at this current time. . Western Bloc: Countries in the western bloc are taking the health and wellbeing of its children strong into account. It has been found that 7 in 10 teens are struggling with their mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic. Schools have given out resources for children and families to reach out to, along with increased push for participation for safe, group outdoor activities to keep children mentally and physically healthy during this time. While mental health patients still often are stuck behind the stigma, many more people recognize mental health as a real issue in these regions. Additionally, many countries such as Norway, Germany, and Luxembourg have some of the most effective mental health treatments despite the large treatment gap, which is slowly decreasing. The CDC has released many tools and resources for people to look upon to aid their mental health during the pandemic. Upon a study, it was found that over 40% of people are experiencing a form of severe mental health problems, including anxiety, depression, trauma symptoms and more.
Questions to Consider:
What does aid for children look like in countries that are less privileged?
How does the closure of the schools play a role in the added mental health issues adolescents are going through, how do they support them?
How can communities establish aid towards the adolescents affected by mental health issues?
How can underprivileged areas in the countries continue to provide aid and support to reach out and help children and adolescents struggling with mental health issues caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and events?
Sources
Shweta Singh,a Deblina Roy,b,⁎ Krittika Sinha, Sheeba Parveen, Ginni Sharma, and Gunjan Joshi. “Impact of COVID-19 and lockdown on mental health of children and adolescents: A narrative review with recommendations☆.” Elsevier Public Health Emergency Collection, vol. PMC, 2020. NCBI, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7444649/.