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Parental involvement is essential to a child's educational and social growth

The 'bored' and 'lazy' young person, once considered typical of the difficult adolescent years, is increasingly drawing the attention of concerned adults who fear a potential problem that could have far-reaching implications.

Psychologists have identified an emotional condition that affects children mostly from the middle classes, and is reminiscent of the 80s 'yuppie flu' phenomenon. It is a condition that may not draw much sympathy at first because it manifests itself in extreme bouts of apathy and lethargy, but parents are beginning to see it as a worrying matter.

The condition is especially apparent in children who do not spend any quality time with their parents, or who have little or no interaction with them.

'Pre-school parental involvement is essential to a child's educational and social success,' says clinical psychologist Michael Tsang. 'The parental role changes as children grow into adolescence. A lack of parental involvement affects a child's academic performance and self-esteem.'

The condition is not to be confused with adolescent fatigue, which relates to loss of energy due to hormonal changes and physical growth. The lethargy/apathy among middle-class teenagers that doctors refer to is reflected in an inability to concentrate for long periods of time, a subdued manner, and a lack of interest in the world around them. This results in behavioural problems, eating and emotional disorders and poor academic performance.

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