Global research warns of accelerating mental health problems and illness among young people

The rate of acceleration of mental health problems and illness among young people is dangerous to destroy “cohesion and prosperity of nations around the world”, according to an international study.

Generational inequality, unregulated social media, insecure jobs and climate change are behind the global rise in mental illness among young people, it warns. “Mental illness, which has been a major health and social problem affecting the lives and futures of young people for decades, has reached a dangerous level,” a study published by The Lancet Psychiatry Journal e added to say.

The study, which was carried out by more than 50 authors including psychologist Prof Barbara Dooley from University College Dublin, is the culmination of years of research.

The neglect of young people’s mental health is “reinforced by the negative and selfish attitudes that society continues to show towards young people and their needs”, it says. In many countries the mental health of young people has been declining for the past two decades and has been exacerbated by the “Covid-19 epidemic, the measures taken to prevent it and its consequences”.

There is an urgent need to address these driving factors and improve mental health treatment for young people as mental illnesses begin to peak at age 15, it says. Early intervention is essential “to prevent rates of premature death, disability and disability – all of which have increased over the past 20 years”.

The report was compiled by Orygen – Australia’s center of excellence in youth mental health. Mental illness accounts for 45 percent of the total burden of disease among 10-24 year olds worldwide, while the need for mental health support for this age bracket has risen by 50 in the last twenty years.

Orygen director Professor Patrick McGorry said the study was a “huge step” in recognizing young people’s mental health as an “international priority”.

In 2011 the World Economic Forum reported that among non-communicable diseases, mental illness was the largest source of global gross domestic product (GDP) loss.

“These human impacts and economic losses are largely due to the time they start in life, as well as the global neglect of mental illness due to stigma and discrimination within health care and research. “Mental illness has been described as a stigma and a form of self-harm created by society itself,” the researchers note.

“Inadequate action on climate change, an unsafe digital and social media environment, and social exclusion as reflected by insecure employment, reduced access to housing low cost, and generational inequality combine to create a bleak future for many young countries,” it added.

However, there are encouraging signs, which suggest that “the danger is being recognized and some answers are emerging”, it finds – especially in the United States where surgeon Dr Vivek Murthy recently warned that social media has a “significant risk” of fueling young people’s mental health problems.

“However, the crisis is global and requires a scientific analysis of the risks and security risks that drive it, and a global strategy that can drive action plans. national and local action to combat it,” the Lancet study added.

“Youth mental health issues are of particular importance worldwide given how important societies depend on the skills and contributions of young people. As more and more young adults die prematurely, they are relegated to a life of comfort, denied adequate respect and care, and depressed into a state of insecurity, society itself will become more unstable Young minds are not a warning sign, and now may be our last chance to act.”