Modern day challenges are driving a ‘dangerous’ surge in mental ill health in young people.
The Lancet Psychiatry Commission on youth mental health found that unregulated social media, wage theft, insecure employment and the climate crisis are leasing to premature death, disability and lost potential, all of which have escalated over the past two decades.
Professor Patrick McGorry, executive director of Australia’s Orygen Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, who led the study, called this ‘the most serious public health problem we’ve got’.
‘It may appear on the surface that previous generations had it more difficult, given the Great Depression, world wars and nuclear threats,’ he said. ‘But actually, there’s much less security and hope for the future surrounding the current generation than ever before. The challenges today’s generation of young people face are unprecedented, they’re devastating, and they’re worse than they’ve ever been.’
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The commission’s paper, co-authored by psychiatrists, psychologists, researchers and young people, found that while mental ill-health accounts for at least 45% of the overall burden of disease in people aged between 10 to 24, only 2% of global health budgets are devoted to mental healthcare.
McGorry warned that a lack of action would have serious consequences for society. ‘The world really has to get real here if we want to see the next generation flourish, if we want to make sure our societies are cohesive and productive, this is a no-brainer," he said.
World Health Organization (WHO) welcomed the report, and its spokesperson Carla Drysdale said: ‘All countries, no matter the resource constraints, can take steps to improve mental health prevention and care for young people. Building a non-specialist workforce that includes school counsellors, community-based workers and peers is crucial.’
She added that the WHO is supporting efforts to ‘build community-based mental health care for young people, redesigning services and care pathways in ways that make them accessible’.