Challenges in South Africa
Adolescents in South Africa are even more vulnerable to mental health problems. Many live in poor and difficult environments, with no access to even basic health services. Schools barely run on the bare essentials, never mind having a counsellor or any support system available.
Public schools are overcrowded, which means many kids find it difficult to cope with the work because they are not receiving individual attention. Common mental health problems such as anxiety and depression are high. Shockingly, suicide is the second leading cause of death amongst the youth around the globe.
There is, therefore, a need amongst the young people of South Africa and the world, to bring awareness to the mental health problem. To improve the situation, education and training should be implemented to help those in more vulnerable positions. Depression, as well as anxiety treatment, should readily be available to those in need.
But even though there have been requests made to the government to address the problem, nothing has been done. It seems the exact opposite is happening, with the education budget suffering from cutbacks. This, in turn, reduces the resources available and the cycle continues.
Many South African’s also deal with the stigma attached to a mental health disorder. In some cultures, depression or other mental problems are not seen as an illness but as a weakness in character. Many people including youths are discriminated against for admitting they have a problem. Others who are also struggling will then suffer in silence.
Many believe that the problem should be addressed at a community level, get the parents, traditional leaders, local teachers and counsellors involved. Promoting awareness could be the first step in encouraging those with a mental health problem to come forward and seek help.
Adolescent mental health - the facts
Studies done on mental health issues in adolescents indicate a serious problem growing in our society. Consider that about 20% of adolescents, as well as children, suffer from some form of mental health disorder. The truth is that an alarming percentage of youth from grades 8 and up today are struggling with things like depression and anxiety.
Many of these youths have then gone on to use drugs or have tried to commit suicide. The problem is that many adolescents are dealing with mental health problems and are not getting the help they need. The reason could be because there is not enough awareness on the subject and there is just no services or resources readily available.
Research also indicates that many youths who suffer from depression or anxiety have at least one parent who also suffers from the same problem or has some type of mental health disorder. Discovering problems and fostering mental wellness early on in adolescence will go a long way in ensuring a positive transition into adulthood.
Again, research shows that about one in five adolescents are living with a mental health disorder. This means that these young minds are struggling and missing opportunities to learn and grow. But why is there such a large percentage affected? Schools just don’t have the resources or capacity to help those who need it.
Today, teachers in public schools are overwhelmed with responsibilities and sometimes there are so many children in one class that individual attention is virtually impossible. Teachers are also not trained to spot the symptoms. Some schools may have counsellors on board, but many don’t, and the number of children assigned to each counsellor is overwhelming.
In a perfect world, all concerned from parents to teachers and other staff should be trained and be able to pick up on the signs indicating a mental health problem. Counsellors should then be brought in and, if necessary, outside assistance can be brought in. Early detection would make all the difference, but school staff are so overwhelmed with everything else that many kids’ slip through the cracks.
