Worldwide between 10 and 20% of children and adolescents have mental health problems.
Closer to home in Cape Town, 22.2% of children met diagnostic criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder, researchers at Stellenbosch have found.
Today marks World Mental Health Day under the theme ‘Young people and mental health in a changing world’.
Stellenbosch University psychology department senior lecturer Dr Jason Bantjes said 20.3% of university students experienced a mental disorder. Only about one-fifth of first-year students with a mental health problem receive treatment, he said.
“Mental health problems among young people are serious. If left untreated, they can adversely impact young people’s social, personal and academic development.
“Young people with mental illnesses also face problems with social stigma, isolation and discrimination.”
Bantjes conducts research on suicide prevention and the promotion of mental health, supported by a grant from the South African Medical Research Council.
Bantjes says it would be naive to think that young people do not develop serious mental health problems such as anxiety disorders and depression.
"Young people are also prone to stress and trauma-related disorders, and behavioural disorders, including problems with attention and impulse control, he said.
While genetic factors and temperament play a role in predisposing young people to mental illness, Bantjes says there’s evidence that early childhood adversity makes individuals vulnerable to mental and physical health problems. He added that the psychological well-being of children also suffers when their parents have untreated mental health problems.
Bantjes says it remains a concern that in many parts of the developing world, young people with mental illness struggle to access effective evidence-based mental health care.
“Common barriers to accessing care in low- and middle-income countries include ignorance about the signs and symptoms of childhood disorders, a lack of understanding about children’s emotional and attachment needs, a lack of suitably qualified mental health professionals, and inadequate child and adolescent mental health services.”
The South African Depression and Anxiety Group (Sadag) said it deals with hundreds of calls each day related to youth and mental health, from parents, teachers, universities and teens in need of help.
University students experience depression, stress and anxiety every day without any knowledge that they are suffering from a mental illness.
“From the hundreds of calls that Sadag receives every day, children, teens and young adults are dealing with many problems they feel they can’t handle,” Sadag operations director Cassey Chambers said.
Suicide Helpline 0800 567 567
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