PORTALJABAR, BANDUNG CITY - The mental health of children and adolescents is a focus of clinical psychology services at the Cipadung Community Health Center. The various issues encountered during the service demonstrate the importance of the family's role in recognizing, understanding, and validating emotions from the time children are at home.

Cipadung Community Health Center psychologist Delis Larasaty Putri said the problems faced by patients are quite diverse. However, household issues are among the most common, followed by issues in children and adolescents.

According to Delis, in children, the issues that arise are related to growth and development. Meanwhile, in adolescents, challenges are often related to the search for identity and environmental influences.

Delis believes that one of the fundamental things that needs to be strengthened is the family's ability to validate children's emotions.

According to him, the first introduction to emotions should start at home because parents are the first educational environment for children.

"Our first teachers are our parents," said Delis on Thursday, (10/15/2026).

He explained that validating emotions doesn't mean justifying all of a child's actions. Validation involves first understanding what the child is feeling, then helping them recognize and manage those emotions.

For example, when a child cries because he or she experiences something unpleasant, parents can ask what happened and how the child feels.

In this way, children learn to recognize their emotions and understand that the feelings that arise can be discussed openly.

Conversely, when a child's emotions are immediately dismissed as unimportant or something that must be stopped immediately, the child may have difficulty understanding and expressing their feelings. This condition can potentially carry over into adulthood.

Delis said that mental health issues in adolescents cannot be separated from family conditions and social environments.

He encountered several cases where teenagers were facing family issues, including parental divorce, while still lacking the skills to manage emotional stress.

"If he doesn't validate his emotions from home, he'll be confused," he said.

Therefore, he invited parents to be more sensitive to changes in their children's behavior and emotions.

Children who appear angry, anxious, withdrawn, or experience certain behavioral changes need to be communicated with openly so that the underlying causes can be understood.

In services at the Cipadung Community Health Center, patients first undergo screening to determine the condition they are experiencing.

Afterward, the psychologist explores the patient's experiences and feelings further through a consultation process. Delis stated that some patients present with issues they have been experiencing for one to two years.

Through clinical psychological services available at the Cipadung Community Health Center and 11 others spread across Bandung City, it is hoped that the public will find it easier to obtain professional assistance.

Mental health education is also continuously expanded through schools and community activities to foster awareness of the importance of mental health from an early age. (Bandung City Communications and Information Service/rka)