Litia Cava 
[File Photo]
Mental health starts before birth but homes are now the weakest link.
That’s the warning from Senimili Biu, Director of Nursing and Team Leader at Saint Giles Hospital’s Psychiatric Unit.
She explained that Fiji’s youngest are being raised in a world that’s forgetting the basics of nutrition, sleep, movement and human connection.
Biu states that mental illness isn’t something that starts in teenage years or adulthood. It begins before birth.
She says when children grow up without healthy food, proper sleep, active play, and face-to-face love, the damage runs deep.
The threat, she said was modern. Screens have replaced parenting. Parents are distracted. Babies are handed phones instead of being held. Children now search for worth in likes and shares not in their homes.
“Human connection shape their ability to trust, feel safe and form secure relations, strong interaction provide strong mental health.”
Biu also warns that drug use among youth is rising fast, targeting the still-developing parts of their brain.
She says teenage brains are ruled by emotion not logic and parents must be the bridge until reasoning kicks in.
She also re-emphasized that parents must talk to their kids not text them.
“Stop scrolling, and start holding. That’s how strong minds are built.”
The crisis is real, she says. St. Giles is full. And yet, the solution is in our homes. Biu states that mental health is not a side issue, it is the foundation of everything and the time to act is now.
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