Mental health as pressing issue among youth
IN A recent nationwide survey conducted by National Youth Commission, mental health, education, teenage pregnancy, AIDS and drug use remain the top concerns among the youth.
The policy, research, monitoring and evaluation division of NYC reported a National Youth Assessment Study shows 14 percent of the youth are engaged in steps to push through with suicide and 20 percent experienced extreme emotional distress where among the 2,762 respondents ages 15-30.
According to Robinson Espinoza, based on the survey, 24 percent child youth (ages 15-17) considered suicide to end their problems followed by the 20 percent for both core youth (ages 18-24) and adult youth (ages 25-30).
“Data lang iyong lumitaw pero concern pa rin, ibig sabihin
dapat may mga programs o interventions para ma-address iyong mental health ng mga kabataan,” Espinoza said.
The survey also reveals that 40 percent of the youth rely on their own school for source of information on sex, followed by the internet, and their own peers.
Thirty percent of the surveyed youth are engaged in sex with some respondents saying sex outside marriage is okay and they want to engage themselves to use birth control while 52 percent said they are aware of HIV/ AIDS.
Concerning drugs, 4.5 percent of youth tried using illegal substances while 21 percent of young people smoke.
In her recent visit in Baguio City, assistant division chief Cristabeth Madrigal of the Social Marketing Division of the NYC said there are many talks where youth can dwell into regarding their own personal problems.
Madrigal also said they are currently working on consultations on the Philippine youth development plan.
“More stakeholders are seeing the gaps on the different issues of the youth and they have consultations to lessen the gap and if not eradicate it,” added Madrigal. Lauren Alimondo