Youth mentoring programs, where an adult mentor provides social support and engages in shared activities without offering psychotherapeutic interventions, have been used to reduce the risk of behavioural disorders among young people (259). To explore whether youth mental health trends reflect surface manifestations of deeper underlying societal changes, new methodologies, including potentially illuminating cross-national comparisons could be employed (108, 224). These proposed contributory causes may (223) collectively contribute to the deteriorating trends in youth mental health, however their relative importance is yet to be determined scientifically.
Promotion and prevention
This is something that young people tell us they appreciate about YAM. If a young person shows signs of psychological distress, the YAM Instructor will speak with them and make sure that they receive appropriate support. All YAM Instructors have prior experience working with groups of youth. Whenever we do YAM in a new country or cultural context, we work with local youth and youth professionals to make sure that the program stays appropriate and sensitive to local needs.
Learn and explore with The Trevor Project’s resource center
Mental health professionals, parents, schools, and the community must all work together to ensure that young individuals receive the care and support they need to thrive. Addressing youth mental health is essential for the well-being of our future generations. Schools can implement preventive measures by promoting healthy lifestyles, encouraging physical activity, and educating students about mental health from an early age. By providing on-site mental health services, schools can eliminate barriers to access and ensure that students receive timely and appropriate care. Schools can also integrate mental health professionals into their system, ensuring that students have access to the support they need.
Suicide
- The Covid-19 pandemic in itself exacerbated these challenges, leading to increased isolation, anxiety and disruption of daily routines.
- Schools and universities often have mental health services available for students.
- Download, read, and order free NIMH brochures and fact sheets about mental disorders and related topics.
- Our experts create resources each year so everyone can take part in Children’s Mental Health Week
- Intervention studies can offer a starting point to implementing and evaluating interventions aimed at addressing identified risk factors and improving mental health outcomes (245, 246).
In 2022, the prevalence of cannabis use among adolescents was higher than that of adults globally (5.5 per cent compared with 4.4 per cent, respectively) (4). Risk-taking behaviours can be an unhelpful strategy to cope with emotional difficulties and can severely impact an adolescent’s mental and physical well-being. Many risk-taking behaviours for health, such as substance use or sexual risk-taking, start during adolescence. Suicide is the third leading cause of death in older adolescents and young adults (15–29 years) (2). These experiences can impair an adolescent’s ability to participate in daily life and education and often lead to stigma or human rights violations. Conditions that include symptoms of psychosis most commonly emerge in late adolescence or early adulthood.
Download and share these messages to help spread the word about child and adolescent mental health. Many adults with mental disorders had symptoms that were not recognized or addressed in childhood or adolescence. Learn more about NIMH newsletters, public participation in grant reviews, research funding, clinical trials, the NIMH Gift Fund, and connecting with NIMH on social media. The Trevor Project’s mission is to end suicide among LGBTQ+ young people.
If implemented effectively, major gains seen in other areas of health such as cancer and cardiovascular disease are also possible for youth mental health, and the mental health field and community globally. An Military child well-being toolkit resources urgent and serious public health response to the rising mental health needs of young people is required. An immediate call to action was recently declared, with a whole of society approach invited to address growing rates of youth mental ill-health (18). Economic stability and growth can also indirectly impact mental health by reducing socio-economic adversity, one of the key contributors to mental health issues particularly among young people (68, 171, 175, 176). Privatisation of health care and other economic barriers limit access to mental health services, exacerbate health inequity, and constitute frank discrimination against the mentally ill (296, 297).