The Importance of Mental Health in Youths Around The World

Mental health problems come with 16% of the disease burden going globally and injury in different people that are aged 10 to 19 years — 50% of the mental health conditions initiated by 14 years of age. However, most cases go untreated and undetected.

Addressing the mental health issues of youth is among the essential challenges that our society faces today. The World Health Organization states that mental disorders remain the single usual most cause of disability in the youth. If we leave it untreated, these disorders can affect aspects of health which includes social development and emotional wellness that can leave youth feeling quite stigmatized, isolated, and unable to carry on their interpersonal, vocational, as well as societal contributions.

Why Is Good Mental Health Important?

A healthy mind can help an individual develop enough resilience to cope with different issues that life throws at them, making them become productive and well-rounded adults in the future.

Some of the things that will help to keep young people mentally well include the following:

Being in a healthy physical state, eating a healthy and well-balanced diet with regular exercise
Having the freedom and the time to play both indoors and outdoors
Being a part of a family, which can get along well in usual states of time
Going to a college or high school which looks after students
Participating in different activities

Other factors are essential as well in this case which include feeling trusted, loved, safe, and understood. Young people who are resilient, positive, and have control over their lives, and feel as if they belong are likelier to get good mental health.

Surveys suggest that most youths have issues with their mental health now as compared to three decades ago.

Common Mental Health Issues in Young People

Depression influences more youth now as compared to past times. Adolescents are likelier to get depression as compared to young adults. Self-harm is a situation among the youth. Some people who may undergo intense kind of emotional pain might try to deal with this situation by hurting themselves.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder might cause youth to get extremely concerned. Adolescents might get separation anxiety when they are transferring school.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder comes with sexual abuse or physical abuse, undergoing something highly traumatizing, becoming a violence victim, or surviving through a disaster.

Young people who remain hyperactive, impulsive, and have some difficulty concentrating on their tasks, which is termed Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Different eating disorders majorly start in adolescence and are more common in teen girls than teen boys. Adolescents that develop an eating disorder are small. However, eating disorders, particularly bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa, come with some serious consequences for their development and overall physical health.

Help for the Youth

If you are an adolescent worrying about your mental wellness, know that there is much help available. You might want to check out different things such as:

Talk to a loved one about your feelings and emotions. The more you bottle it, the more dangerous it can become for you. You should be able to speak openly about your feelings and trust that help is around the corner.

Visit your general practitioner; they will answer the queries you have regarding how you feel. Also, don’t hesitate to talk about the different options you have and check out the services that can be given to you for help.

You need to get in touch with the different organizations as well as services that help people having mental health issues. You can search for different mental health organizations that give you support that is specially made for young people.

A professional or a trained volunteer can help you resolve the issues that trouble you and give you the support you need.

There is a lot of info for youth regarding your feelings, the sources you need to get support, and whatever happens when you visit the general practitioner, see yourself, and more.

What Treatment May Be Helpful for Youth?

Treatment for young adults usually includes talking through the issues to sort the best way to handle them. The individual might be given personalized treatment. A counselor may help you in this regard and help them explore their options.

Professionals who are supporting the mental health of young people make sure to keep the matters confidential. Young people can look for guidance by either approaching a healthcare professional or dialing a helpline but will require consent for health care given they are under 16.

Young people also have their privacy rights if they are not willing to talk to their family members about their talks with the professionals.

Stigma on Mental Health

Among the common negative effects of the stigmas regarding mental health is that they stop individuals from getting treatment. Almost 50% of the young people who undergo a mental health condition don’t get the support and the care that they need.

Even when there is no mental health issue diagnosable, good mental health involves seeking healthy habits. Stigma on mental health keeps young people and their families from talking regarding the different issues they have, addressing and exploring the feelings they may have that come as an essential part of raising resilient and healthy kids.

How to Deal with It?

Providing the right info about mental health disorders and creating awareness is the first step. Then, talks about mental health should be encouraged and be talked about openly. Showing enough solidarity going through a condition is helpful as it allows for empathy and sympathy to flow in. Also, making sure mental health is talked about as a continuum helps people to identify others having mental health disorders and advocate for them.