Child and adolescent mental health key indicators of progress toward SDG targets
in 13 out of 31 industrialized counties the reporting of these mental health symptoms have increased between 2010 and 2014Psychological problems among children and adolescents are complex and wide-ranging. They can include disruptive conduct, anxiety, eating and mood disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and other mental problems. Mental health issues of children and young people are slowly gaining the spotlight they deserve. Evidence unambiguously shows the links between adolescents’ mental health and the experience of bullying, feeling not ‘connected’ to the school environment, perceived exclusion and lack of respect from others. It was also found to be associated with low academic achievement, health risk behaviours and – in the most acute cases – leading to self-harm and suicidal behaviour. If left untreated, childhood mental health disorders impose a significant cost to the society. Understanding the drivers and consequences of child and youth mental health issues is vital for developing the right steps in their prevention. It is the right time to channel more public resources to do so. Target 3.4 under Goal 3 of the Sustainable Development Agenda specifically calls to ‘promote mental health and well-being.’ The problem should be taken seriously to provide comprehensive and timely support to parents and children in their struggle to manage emotional and psychological issues. Way too often, help in form of professional mental health service support comes too late, when issues become acute, entrenched and less responsive to intervention. Patching up a problem is then a more likely outcome.
Report Card 14 findings suggest that identification and diagnosis of children with mental health and psychological difficulties should start early, before age 11. At the national and international level, there is an urgent need for regular and comprehensive monitoring of children’s mental health. This often means developing appropriate survey instruments that could provide evidence on a timely basis. School systems should give more priority to emotional and psychological well-being of children by establishing an early identification and response system that works in a non-stigmatising manner. Gender sensitive interventions, which would support children’ ability to respond to pressures of their environment and promote a positive self-image are particularly important. Finally, children and young people should be given the more and better opportunities to talk about the well-being issues that concern them as well as the help they want to receive. We want our children to be resilient. But we need to give them that chance.
For a deeper look and discussion on the data regarding adolescent mental health collected for Report Card 14 download Innocenti Research Brief 2017-12: Adolescents' mental health; Out of the shadows. Zlata Bruckauf is a consultant researcher with UNICEF Innocenti working on the Report Card series specializing on inequality and education issues. Explore the UNICEF Innocenti research catalogue for new publications. Follow UNICEF Innocenti on Twitter and sign up for e-newsletters on any page of the UNICEF Innocenti website. [1] Feeling low, feeling irritable, nervous, having sleeping difficulties.