The soaring prevalence of mental health conditions among youth epitomises a global public health crisis. Policy responses to alleviate income inequality, improve education systems and expand healthcare services can make a big difference.
However, a critical lens is needed to guard against individualising conceptions of mental health. This can obscure the social dimensions that are fundamental to young people’s wellbeing.
Family Environment
In families, supportive relationships can help children develop resilience to mental health challenges. Conversely, conflict-ridden and neglectful family environments exacerbate vulnerabilities.
Pediatricians are well-positioned to de-stigmatize the mental health care of children, providing regular opportunities for youth and their parents to discuss any problems that may be emerging. They can also promote preventive services like mental health screenings that are often covered by insurance.
Other professionals working with young people—such as teachers, social workers, community-based service providers, and police officers—can take action to support the mental health of youth by incorporating training in Youth Mental Health First Aid into their work. The program teaches adults how to help an adolescent in crisis or in non-crisis situations. It also reviews typical adolescent development and provides a 5-step action plan to respond to signs of trouble.
Education
Students can face a variety of mental health challenges, including feelings of stress, anxiety and depression. Teachers can play an important role in mitigating these effects by promoting positive learning environments and providing accessible mental health resources.
In the decade leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic, feelings of despair and suicidal thoughts and behaviors rose sharply among youth, especially for adolescents living in humanitarian and fragile settings; those with chronic illness, autism spectrum disorder or intellectual disability; those experiencing adolescent parenting, early or forced marriage or orphanhood; or those from minority ethnic and sexual backgrounds who face stigma or discrimination.
States can take action to address these trends, including developing care or compensation models for non-clinical professionals who support young people’s mental health and wellbeing, like peer mentors and community health workers. This will help to ensure they receive the care and support they need to thrive.
Health & Lifestyle
Adolescence is a time of change, growth, and challenges. It is a key period for mental health promotion.
Adolescents with poor mental health face many challenges including high rates of depression and anxiety and higher risks of substance use, bullying, and risky sexual behaviour. These risk factors are often interconnected and many can be preventable.
Adolescents should be encouraged to build strong connections with others, especially adults. This includes family, friends and teachers. They should be educated about the benefits of social media and other technology, and be provided with alternative activities that foster in-person connections. They should also be given access to screening for mental illnesses and be able to save emergency numbers to their phones. This will help them seek treatment if needed.
Social & Emotional Development
Children’s social-emotional development is a key factor in mental health, including their ability to understand and express their own emotions. It also includes their sense of empathy for others and their capacity to connect with people.
Caregivers, educators and communities can provide a supportive environment that prioritizes young children’s emotional well-being. This includes making sure that they have access to the resources and programmes they need to cope with and recover from adversity.
Evidence suggests that the prevalence of loneliness and disconnection among youth is linked to higher rates of mental ill health, particularly anxiety and depression. Prevention strategies could leverage this evidence to include peer support programmes and encourage prosocial norms in schools, in addition to promoting a sense of belonging and addressing negative aspects of social connections such as bullying.
Economic Trends
Across the world, mental health challenges in youth are a major challenge to national development. Untreated mental health issues lead to lost productivity, reduced workforce participation, and lower academic achievement. These burdens are even more acute during times of economic crisis.
The increase in anxiety, depression and psychosis since the mid-1990s is a global public health crisis. Many factors contribute to this rise, such as climate change, family environment, educational pressures and societal inequalities.
Studies using Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory find that economic conditions directly affect the psychological well-being of individuals and families. The impact varies, however. Decreases in unemployment rates have a positive effect on reducing mental health disorder severity. Similarly, increases in the state’s average home price index lead to improved mental health disorder severity.