Our children are not well: the mental health of children and adolescents is deteriorating

According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), mental health problems continue to rise globally, making them one of the most urgent public health challenges today.

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According to the report, young people are the age group most affected by mental disorders. This has been occurring over the past three decades. Thus, those with the greatest increase are anxiety, depression, and eating disorders. However, what raises alarm bells is the suicide rate. According to WEF figures, it is the leading cause of death among young people aged 15 to 29. The figures are similar in the United States, where 20% of adolescents report having unmet mental health care needs.

“Medical and support services are overburdened, and many young people struggle to access timely, tailored help. The majority of children and adolescents worldwide who suffer from a mental disorder do not seek help or receive care ,” the World Economic Forum noted.

The pandemic aggravated the situation

Meanwhile, the WEF report highlighted that the COVID-19 pandemic was one of the factors exacerbating these mental health problems because it has left its mark. The disease that saw the greatest increase was post-COVID anxiety, which continues to cause rising school absenteeism rates. It also generated social, structural, and developmental changes for children that are having an impact. These include, for example, educational policies that prioritize academic performance and the lengthening of the school day.

“Which translates into more stress and less time to play,” said Professor Peter Fonagy, head of the Division of Psychology and Language Sciences at University College London.

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Another widely criticized source of stress is social media, which has generated unrealistic expectations of perfectionism and comparison with others. Furthermore, technology in general can cause social isolation, sleep problems, and reduced physical activity, factors that contribute to disorders such as depression.

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