UNICEF warns that 1 in 7 children and adolescents suffer from mental health problems

“The COVID-19 pandemic has raised serious concerns for the mental health of a generation of children. However, the pandemic may be just the tip of the mental health iceberg, an iceberg that we have overlooked for too long, ”Unicef ​​said in its 2021 annual report on children and adolescents. ‘he posted on Tuesday under the name In my mind: promoting, protecting and caring for children’s mental health.

The State of the Children 2021 annual report, to be released in full in November, made a call “to commitment, the Communication and the action as fundamental elements of a comprehensive approach to promote good mental health for every child, protecting vulnerable children and caring for those who face the greatest obstacles ”.

According to estimates by the United Nations (UN) Children’s Agency “13% of adolescents aged 10 to 19 suffer from a diagnosed mental disorder ”. This implies that one in seven young people.

The agency warned that “in virtually every corner of the world, in rich and poor countries alike, mental disorders (and the lack of adequate responses) continue to inflict tremendous suffering on children and young people and represent one of the leading causes of death, disease and disability, especially among older adolescents ”.

While global figures speak of around 45,800 teenage suicides each year, barely 2% of countries’ budgets are allocated to assistance with conditions such as anxiety, depression and other mental disorders, according to the report.

The study specifies that the economic losses due to mental disorders that cause disability or death in young people are estimated at nearly 340.2 billion dollars per year.

The economic cost paid for this oversight is high: around $ 340.2 billion per year, according to calculations by David McDaid and Sara Evans-Lacko of the Department of Health Policy at the School of Economics and Science for this policy report. London. “This is a loss of 340.2 billion dollars in human potential that could go to the economies of countries,” he said.

Diseases such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and autism; Bipolar and conduct disorders, depression, eating disorders, intellectual disability and schizophrenia affect not only health, but also education, living conditions and the ability to earn income for the well- to be children and young people.

UNICEF said that a mix of genetics, personal experiences and environmental factors, such as parenthood, education, quality of relationships, exposure to violence or abuse, discrimination, poverty, humanitarian crises and health emergencies like the one triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, shape children’s mental health and ‘influence throughout his life.

While protective factors, such as caring caregivers, safe school environments, and positive peer relationships, can reduce the risk of mental disorders, the paper notes that there are significant barriers, like stigma and underfunding, which prevent too many children from enjoying positive mental health or accessing the supports they need.

The State of the World’s Children 2021 calls on governments and public and private sector partners to engage, communicate and act to promote the mental health of all children, adolescents and caregivers, protect those who need help and care for the most vulnerable.

In this context, they called on governments to apply the following measures:

–Investing urgently in child and youth mental health in all sectors, not just health, to support a prevention, promotion and care approach that embraces the whole of society.

-Integrate and scale up evidence-based interventions in the health, education and social protection sectors, including parenting programs that promote nurturing and nurturing care and support the mental health of parents and caregivers; and ensuring that schools support mental health through quality services and positive relationships.

–Break the silence that surrounds mental illness, tackle stigma, promote a better understanding of mental health and take the experiences of children and youth seriously.

“Mental health is an integral part of physical health; we cannot afford to continue to look at it any other way, ”said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore.

“We find that, for too long, in rich and poor countries alike, insufficient efforts have been made to understand and invest in this issue, even as it plays a vital role in the potential of all children. . This must change, ”he stressed.

UNICEF noted in the report that its data on adolescent deaths is based on Global Health Estimates 2019 of the World Health Organization (WHO). Estimates of the prevalence of diagnosed mental disorders are based on the 2019 Global Burden of Disease Study Institute for Health Measurement and Evaluation (IHME).

The report includes details of a survey conducted by Unicef ​​and Gallup on depression or feelings of disinterest. The Changing Childhood Project surveyed approximately 20,000 people by telephone in 21 countries. All samples are based on probabilities and represent two different populations in each country: people from 15 to 24 years old and people 40 years of age or over. The coverage area is the whole country, including rural areas, and the sampling frame represents the entire civilian population, not institutionalized, within each age group with access to a phone. The full results of the project will be published by Unicef ​​in November.

Child and adolescent mental health is as pervasive an evil in the world as the lack of resources that governments allocate to their care. The report pointed out that there are big differences between countries and the most serious situation occurs in the poorest countries. Poorest state governments spend less than two cents per person per year mental health treatment. But even among those with upper middle incomes, the annual expenditure is less than $ 3 per person. “All of these numbers are too small to address mental illness in children, adolescents and caregivers, especially those facing more serious mental health issues,” he said.

The report also highlights the lack of resources and specialists to deal with mental health issues. The number of psychiatrists specializing in the care of children and adolescents is less than 0.1 per 100,000 inhabitants in all countries, except for those with high incomes, where the figure was 5.5 per 100,000.

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