A large number of studies show a rise in youth mental health disorders including anxiety and psychological distress, suicide attempts and low wellbeing. This has contributed to a global youth mental health crisis.
Addressing these trends requires sustained investments in equitable prevention, promotion and early intervention. These include focusing on groups most at risk, such as girls and sexual minorities.
Social determinants of health
The social determinants of health are the structural conditions that shape people’s exposure to risk factors and influence their mental health outcomes. These include access to health care, education, income, housing, food security, and transportation. They also include neighborhood safety, childhood adversity, and discrimination. These are often referred to as the ‘proximal determinants’, as they affect a person’s daily experience and abilities. For example, a lack of affordable health insurance can make it harder to visit a doctor for regular health screenings.
Structural determinants of health are broad and complex, and vary across countries and contexts. They can include national wealth and income inequality, as well as the availability of health services, employment opportunities, and public amenities like parks and sidewalks. They can also include factors that are specific to the population, such as gender, age, racial and ethnicity, disability status, and migrant status.
Adolescent development
Adolescence is a time of profound physical, emotional, and social growth. It’s also a critical period for learning and building resilience. But many adolescents experience challenges that interfere with healthy development.
These problems are often related to underlying mental health issues, such as anxiety or depression. They can also result from poor parenting or unhealthy family environments. Adolescents are also at risk of experimenting with drugs or engaging in high-risk sexual behaviors that can lead to unintended pregnancy, HIV, and STDs.
Fortunately, adolescents are resilient and can benefit from the same prevention strategies that promote mental health and prevent other negative outcomes, like drug use and violence. For example, helping young people feel connected to school and family can prevent depression and help them cope with stress and adversity. It can also prevent suicidal thoughts and behaviors. To improve youth mental health, we must increase access to quality, affordable, and culturally responsive mental health care and expand the school-based mental health workforce.
Adolescent mental health
Adolescents often experience poor mental health, especially when they are exposed to multiple risk factors. These include the pressure to conform to peer norms and explore identity; harsh or abusive parenting; and poverty and lack of social connections.
Anxiety, a feeling of tenseness and nervousness, is a common symptom among adolescents. However, it can become a serious problem when it persists and causes negative impacts on their life.
When talking to an adolescent about their mental health, it is important to do so calmly and without judgement. It is also important to be respectful of their privacy and not pass on any information they have shared to others unless it is with their consent. Adolescents who are unsure of where to seek help for their mental health can find it difficult to access services. Laws that protect patient confidentiality and ensure that adolescent patients have the power to decide when to disclose personal information can improve their access to care.
Prevention
Many of the health behaviors and habits established in adolescence carry over into adulthood, and this presents a unique window for prevention. Preventive strategies centered around the social and environmental conditions of life, such as healthy diets, safe housing, education and community supports, can help reduce mental health problems in youth.
Increase resources and support for school-based mental health services. Provide training for teachers, administrators, school staff, and other adults who interact with students about how to recognize the signs of a mental health challenge or crisis in adolescents. Include trauma-informed care and culturally responsive practices. Prioritize students with mental health challenges and those at risk for them, including racial and ethnic minority students, low-income and foster youth, and students involved in the juvenile justice system.
Encourage adolescents to save emergency numbers to help them access immediate care in a crisis. Encourage youth to develop strong, supportive relationships and learn ways to cope with stress and negative emotions. Promote balanced, authentic stories about mental health and suicide in the media.