Cape Town – As we celebrate Youth Month, concerns have been raised by experts about mental health in the 15-29 age group.
Close to half of all mental health disorders start when sufferers are in their mid-teens and 75% before the mid-20s.
Suicide is one of the most common causes of death in the youth worldwide.
Chief specialist scientist at the South African Medical Research Council Jason Bantjes said it was important to remember that suicide was a common cause of death in this age group because most people of this age are physically healthy.
“Significant medical advances have been made with treating infectious diseases and dealing with problems like malnutrition. This means that many young people are healthy and are more likely to die in accidents or as a result of homicide or self-inflicted injuries, rather than as a result of physical illnesses.
“In other words, part of the reason suicide is a common cause of death in this age group is because of the advances we have made to improve the physical health of children and adolescents. The most common disorders are anxiety, depression, attention difficulties and disruptive behaviour disorders.
“I do not know what the treatment gap is in South Africa, but we do know that many children with mental health problems don’t get the help they need. A study we published in 2020 showed that among first-year university students at UCT and Stellenbosch University, only about 29% of students with mental health disorders were receiving treatment,” he said.
Psychiatrist Kobus Roux said: “Factors attributing to this are the influence of social media and teenagers becoming aware of the options or even sometimes considering it to be cool to attempt suicide or ‘challenge death’.”
Another factor is linked to the Covid-19 pandemic and the psychological turmoil that came with the lockdown regulations and social distancing. Not interacting with their friends, not socialising and not participating in group activities, including sport at school, had a big impact on the mental well-being of many teenagers.
“This age group is very important to society as a whole as they are the future workforce and the next generation of leaders. They are also young parents and influence the minds of future generations.
“The ages 15 – 29 is an important time in any person’s life, that is the time for establishing your personality and choosing direction in life,” she said.
A board member of the South African Society of Psychiatrists, Dr Alicia Porter, said: “Mental health awareness is very important as many disorders in youth are not detected until it is very late. There is also lots of stigma and often in this age group youth are considered ‘naughty ‘or ‘just going through a phase’.
“Also, mental health issues may present differently than in adults. Awareness needs to be created for skills training, resilience building and also for screening and early detection and treatment.
“Untreated mental health concerns will lead to increase in physical and mental health problems in adulthood, increase in substance usage and economic failure. Most adult psychiatric problems have an onset at an average age of 14. (This means) it is very important to identify and treat mental health concerns in this age group,” she said.