CHAINAMA HOSPITAL ADVISES PARENTS AGAINST ENROLLING TODDLERS AS YOUNG AS 2YRS IN SCHOOL, LEADS TO MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS
MORE than 1,035 children aged between 10 and 18 were treated for mental illnesses at Lusaka’s Chainama Hills Hospital last year, with cases linked to substance abuse, depression, anxiety, and emotional or physical abuse.
Hospital Assistant Public Relations Officer Obed Kunda revealed that the figures were recorded between April and December 2025, following the opening of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Clinic, a unit dedicated to young patients.
He said the hospital has been overwhelmed by the rising number of children requiring psychiatric care.
“Chainama has opened a mental health clinic for children, which is a separate unit from the main hospital. From April to December last year, we treated about 1,035 mental-related illnesses among children,” Mr Kunda said.
He explained that cannabis abuse remains the leading cause of admissions among young patients, while bullying at home and in schools, as well as emotional neglect, is also a contributing factor.
“The hospital is treating children as young as 10 years old with mental illnesses as a result of substance abuse, with the main drug being cannabis. Bullying either in homes or at schools is also another reason for mental illness admissions,” Mr Kunda added.
He further cautioned parents against enrolling toddlers as young as two years in school, noting that prolonged hours away from home can traumatise children and lead to mental health problems later in life.
Mr Kunda emphasised the importance of a strong emotional bond between parents and children, warning that parental depression, anxiety, or substance abuse can put children at risk of developing psychiatric conditions.
“When a child is very young and the mother is not present emotionally, or maybe she also has mental-related health issues, the child risks having a mental health-related illness which starts to manifest when they are a bit older,” he said.
(Photo used for illustration purposes)
Zambia Daily Mail