Mental Health Awareness Session

Joining global efforts to spread awareness on World Mental Health Day, Ahliah School hosted a virtual
interactive discussion on Monday, October 17, 2022, entitled “Parents’ Guide to Mental Health for
Children and Adolescents” with the school counselor, Ms. Sandra Ziadeh. The aim was to shed light on
how to recognize the most common mental health signs, symptoms, and disorders, and share resources
available to be able to support our children.

During the discussion, risk and protective factors of well-being were highlighted. A priority was placed
on recognizing signs and symptoms of the most common disorders prevalent among Lebanese children
and adolescents. The ability to distinguish between having symptoms and being diagnosed with a
disorder was highly stressed upon. Symptoms and disorders discussed included different types of
anxiety, depression, trauma, and excessive exposure to screens. After a summary of each, there was a
discussion about what questions parents can ask to identify a specific set of symptoms. Toward the
end, resources were shared with parents to encourage them to request support if they feel they need it
for themselves and their children.

A Q&A session with the audience then followed, allowing everyone to share their questions, comments
and experiences.