The launch of the activities of the comprehensive scientific forum for mental disorders in children at the Faculty of Postgraduate Studies for Childhood

On the occasion of World Mental Health Day, the Faculty of Graduate Studies for Childhood at Ain Shams University and its Center for Special Needs organized the activities of the "Comprehensive Scientific Forum for Mental Disorders in Children", in cooperation with the Department of Pediatrics at the University's Faculty of Medicine, under the auspices of Prof. Dr. Mahmoud El-Meteini, President of the University and Prof. Dr. Ayman Saleh, Vice President for Graduate Studies and Research, Prof. Dr. Howayda Al-Gebali, Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, which will run on October 10-11.

In her opening speech, Prof. Dr. Howayda Al-Gebali, Dean of the Faculty, attended with distinguished people and specialists in several fields and who were keen to participate in the forum, noting that the tenth of October of each year is the World Mental Health Day, where mental health institutions globally and locally organize events to raise awareness of mental health problems among individuals. And the need to pay attention to it and provide treatment services for those who suffer from mental problems and disorders.

Prof. Dr. Randa Kamal, Vice Dean for Community Service and Environmental Development, said that the forum is witnessing a partnership between the departments, and this cooperation and partnership is the result of years of work. Dr. Randa Kamal, both the Faculty administration and department heads, stressing that the forum presents new and creative ideas, hoping that many events will be organized that present more modern ideas in the field.

Prof. Dr. Alia Qotbi, former head of the Department of Pediatrics at the college, indicated that cooperation and integration between disciplines is the main pillar to reach the desired goals of community service, and she hoped that the forum would achieve the maximum benefit from it.

Prof. Dr. Hayam Nazif, the former dean of the faculty, praised the efforts made to hold this forum, expressing her happiness with this opportunity to develop and cooperate with the various departments. Dr. Hayam talked on the importance of the topics covered by the meeting.

Prof. Dr. Ehab Eid, head of the medical department at the college, expressed his pride in working in the medical department, explaining that the medical department at the college is the product and fruit of cooperation between the college and the college of medicine at the university and the concerted efforts that contributed to more cooperation between these parties.

In her speech, Prof. Dr. Eman Zaki, Professor of Pediatrics, explained that the World Mental Health Day is held every year to spread awareness to help people with mental disorders instead of exacerbating their problems, noting that the world during the Corona pandemic witnessed an exacerbation of psychological problems for these patients who need continuous care and permanent supervision in order to ensure their lives.

She stressed that after the pandemics and wars, witnessed incidents of violence appear among the groups of society, and psychological disorders spread among multiple segments of people, such as narcissistic personality disorders, depression, and the current period and the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war, which increased the psychological pressure on these patients, stressing that society must look at these patients with a new and different view and that He helps them and extends a helping hand to them, especially children.

She also called for curbing the phenomenon of bullying, especially on children with special needs and chronic diseases such as heart disease.

Prof. Dr. Eman Zaki urged to teach children to think logically by expressing their opinions and needs and to teach them right from wrong, and to be able to give them the space to express themselves, to develop in them a sense of responsibility, and to develop in them a conscience and that parents should follow their children, whether children or young people among them to respect their minds and that this represents a large part of their mental health, and that parents should teach children from a young age to respect religion, belief and culture that encourage adherence to benign societal values, thus reducing their temptation to misleading calls in the future, such as the currents of Freemasonry and atheism.

In her lectures during the events, Prof. Dr. Reham Sabry, researcher in the Department of Pediatrics, discussed sexual behavior in children and what is normal and what is not, defining sexual orientation in this age group and what is permitted in our culture, explaining that sexual expression in children varies according to their age.

Dr. Reham Sabry raised sexual problems and actions in children, stressing that family problems and violence exacerbate such problems and suggested ways to get rid of inappropriate sexual behaviors for them, as children who do sexually inappropriate work have often been subjected to sexual abuse, stressing that they must Children not to see any act that is inappropriate for their age group. Children over three years old are not appropriate to see a parent even while undressing.

Dr. Lamis Makkawi, a lecturer in the medical department, spoke on the spiritual and religious role in socially rehabilitating people with disabilities, and she tackled the definition of disability from different points of view over the years.

She explained that spirituality and religion are of great cultural importance to people with disabilities, adding that medical research has proven that spirituality and religion are two terms that represent a strong and effective personal source for accepting and dealing with disability-related issues.

It was presented by Prof. Dr. Muhammad Tarek Al-Shaker, a pediatrician teacher, reported a case of parents’ neglect of their children, which led to the child’s injury more than once, and ended in death.

Prof. Dr. Ehab Al-Hakim, Professor of Pediatric Nephrology, spoke about the importance of a hotline to protect children. Dr. Mona Rashad, Professor of Pediatric Endocrinology, highlighted the effect of hormones on children's psyche.

Prof. Dr. Ghada Shousha, Professor of Pediatric Immunology, delivered a lecture entitled "Evil wears the clothes of immune diseases" in which she spoke about the immune diseases that affect children.