THE YOUTH OF TODAY

The majority feel the need for support, but few are getting it

South Africa’s youth are struggling with mental health. A Unicef South Africa-U-Report poll published in the latter half of 2023 found that around 60% of children and youth felt they needed mental health support and only 63% of those who needed support actively sought it. The biggest obstacle to seeking support was not knowing where to go for help, said respondents.

Of concern is that half of all mental health conditions start by the age of 14, although most cases are undetected and untreated. Research conducted globally indicates that the cost of delivering interventions to help parents better support their children’s mental health is roughly comparable to the cost of a routine childhood vaccination programme, in the process reducing the burden on health systems, improving educational achievement as well as longer-term economic outcomes, says Unicef, the UN’s children’s fund.

South Africa has a poor record when it comes to mental health with a significant shortage of mental healthcare skills. Stigma and a lack of public spending aggravate the problem. The country’s disability and mental health legislation has been criticised by the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Not only do our mental health policies urgently need to be updated but we also need better education around mental health to improve mental health literacy, including better awareness of emotional pain, post-traumatic stress, anxiety and depression.

Unicef South Africa has a number of initiatives in place to support mental health among children and the youth, including parenting programmes, psychological support and training for educators to improve support for learners and a support network for adolescent girls and young mothers.

The organisation also supports the Risiha Programme that provides psychosocial, health, education and nutrition support for vulnerable children and youth and provides access to information and resources via mental health chat bots, ChildLine SA and various campaigns.

However, the organisation says more needs to be done and that South Africa needs to increase its investment in child and adolescent mental health and psychological support across sectors.