According to alarming statistics from the United National Children’s Fund (Unicef), one in seven young people between 10 and 19 lives with a diagnosable mental disorder, while suicide is the fourth most significant cause of death among adolescents.
Additionally, reports Health Policy Watch, one in four children lives with a parent with a mental health condition.
Unicef said that globally, adolescents are “really struggling”, and that the economic cost of neglecting youth mental health is estimated at around $387.2bn annually.
Zeinab Hijazi, a clinical psychologist and global mental health lead at Unicef, said most of the cases are treatable, “but they go undetected, and untreated”.
Hijazi noted that many young people are contending with the devastating impacts of wars and conflicts in places like Gaza, the Congojh and Sudan, while others face the immediate threats of climate crises or unemployment.
Jaime Young, a youth leader, mental health advocate, and family caseworker at the Saint Lucia Social Development Fund in the Caribbean, said that in her region, 24% of youth experience mental health disorders, with anxiety and depression accounting for nearly 50% of mental health issues among those aged 10 to 19.
Young identified one of the reasons as heightened stressors.
“Stress, and then depression …if you are not sure how to cope with it or if you do not have support, whether it is with your family or friends, you feel as if your back is against the wall. Access to actual resources, a counsellor or a therapist, is extremely expensive where available – and where they are not, they are just not.”
Mental health disorders remain a “taboo subject”, she added, with a persistent stigma attached to seeking help. Additionally, the region often lacks affordable resources for youth mental health support.
Nevertheless, Young emphasised the need to raise awareness and take action. “It always baffles me that when we know or suspect we have a mental health issue, we do not look for the resources. We ignore it.”
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
Child and adolescent mental health services in crisis, report finds
Young women’s mental health worst hit by COVID – UCT and MRC
Inactivity linked to increased risk of depression in adolescents
Crippling mental health problems common in those sexually assaulted