Despite the fact that most mental health problems begin between the age of 12 and 24, mental health services for young people are very poor worldwide. In particular, the mental health of young people in developing countries receives virtually no attention due to prejudice and a lack of resources.

A group of authors from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK, the University of Cape Town, South Africa and the University of Melbourne, Australia reviewed the evidence on the mental health of young people around the world and the response of the medical profession. The survey included studies that were undertaken between 1995 and 2007.

The survey found that many young people face mental health problems which are often associated with drinking alcohol, difficulties with studies, facing violence or abuse, taking drugs or practising unsafe sex. However, many factors, such as participation in community activities, strong family ties and peer relationships can be protective.

A two-year school-based project, HealthWise, in South Africa offers one example of how mental health of young people can be promoted through teaching them the skills to make the right, healthy, choices. It teaches young people to think about how they are living their lives, strengthens the positive aspects of their lives and introduces them to members of the community who can help them to make decisions and solve problems.

The report found that:

• Up to one in four or five young people suffered from a mental health problem each year.
• Mental health problems are the major cause of ill health amongst young people.
• Young women are more likely to suffer from depression and to self-harm while young men are more likely to have behavioural problems and schizophrenia.
• Suicide is a common cause of death among young people growing up in some countries, like China and India.

The severe neglect of young people's mental health is the result of:

• stigma
• shortages of mental health professionals
• the inability of health workers to provide good quality mental health services for young people
• young people's unwillingness to seek mental health care from formal services.

Addressing young people’s mental health needs is crucial if they are to fulfill their potential and contribute fully to the development of their communities. Given the current situation, the report argues that the best way forward is to incorporate mental health needs into existing youth programmes. Examples of interventions to address mental health problems in young people include:

• Providing support and self-help via schools or the internet. Young people can learn about the dangers associated with substance abuse, risky sexual behaviour and self-harm and ways to avoid them.
• Youth centres which can provide accommodation, educational and employment services, as well as medical support, for young people with complex mental health needs. Such centres should ideally be located in a place designed specifically for young people, incorporating sports and leisure pursuits.
• For the most severe cases, psychiatric services should be developed which are aimed specifically at young people.

Source(s):
‘Mental health of young people: a global public-health challenge’, The Lancet Adolescent Health Series 3, 369(9569), pages 1302-1313, by Vikram Patel, Alan Flisher, Sarah Hetrick and Patrick McGorry, 2007 Full document.

id21 Research Highlight: 6 August 2007

Further Information:
Vikram Patel
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Keppel Street
London WC1E 7HT
UK

Tel: +44 (0) 20 79272482
Fax: +44 (0) 20 74364230
Contact the contributor: vikram.patel@lshtm.ac.uk

Mental Health at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), UK

University of Cape Town, South Africa

University of Melbourne, Australia

Other related links:
'No health without mental health'

'Globalisation and mental health'

'Young people and mental health in Cali, Colombia'

'In the line of fire - the mental health of Palestinian children'

'Economic depression: poverty and mental health in developing countries'

'The Unseen: Mental Illness's Global Toll', Science 311(5760), pages 458-461, by Greg Miller, January 2006