Breathe
By Mafer Olvera
The mental health of young people in Mexico has become a vitally important issue, reflecting a crisis that affects not only youth, but society as a whole. According to the Ministry of Health, 15 million people in Mexico live with a diagnosed mental health disorder, including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, attention deficit disorder with or without hyperactivity, and schizophrenia. Of this universe, 2.5 million are young people, most of whom have been diagnosed with depression, according to the Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health of the UNAM School of Medicine.
This high figure does not reflect the reality that millions of people of all ages have not been diagnosed and probably never will be.
Being diagnosed with a mental or psychoemotional disorder in our country does not guarantee that you will receive adequate, timely and free treatment. Of all the people who suffer or try to survive every day with everything and their mental or emotional condition, only a fraction receive the attention they need. This is especially worrisome among young people, so exposed to everything and at a critical stage of development, especially in today's world.
In 2023, the investment in mental health of the total public health budget was 1.3%. Even though international recommendations suggest that the minimum investment in mental health by governments should be 5% of their health budget, in Mexico the trend has been downward since 2016 and every year it is reduced more. What do governments think, instead of assuming their co-responsibility, they ignore the issue of mental health? Do they think that depression, anxiety or addictions are problems that only concern family members, whether or not there are resources?
An Alarming Increase in Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety, another common mental disorder, has shown an alarming increase. According to the National Survey of Psychiatric Epidemiology, anxiety disorders among teenagers and young people have increased by 75% in recent years. Given that there are approximately 37 million young people in Mexico, this implies that almost 28 million could be living with some degree of anxiety, which severely impairs their quality of development and decision making. Anxiety is a precursor of depression and in many cases of harmful habits and behaviors.
Suicide, the second leading cause of death among Mexican youth, is a tragic indicator of the magnitude of the mental health crisis we face. In addition, substance use, both alcohol and drugs, is on the rise. According to the National Survey on Drug, Alcohol and Tobacco Consumption (ENCODAT) 2016-2017, 35.9% of teenagers aged 12 to 17 have consumed alcohol at least once in their lifetime, and 8.6% have consumed some illegal drug. Among 18-25 year olds, these percentages increase significantly.
The Opportunity to Prevent and Treat
Diagnosed disorders in adults begin on average at age 14. According to WHO, the main reasons for disability and illness in young people are depression, anxiety and suicide deaths. There is no doubt that mental health is one of the greatest present and future challenges in today's societies. In young people, this challenge is also an opportunity to prevent, diagnose and treat in a timely manner. What kind of adults will we have?
It is crucial and urgent that early intervention programs are developed and that sufficient resources are allocated for the care of the mental and emotional health of young people. This is the only way to achieve a true prevention of risk behaviors that will impact not only the individual and family, but also the economic and social development of a country's most important capital, which is undoubtedly its youth.
The habits, behaviors, traumas and/or opportunities that the world brings to its young people will largely determine the kind of adults they will be tomorrow.
Youth mental health is in crisis, ignored, but crisis. And to act it is imminent that public policies address it in a comprehensive manner, with a youth perspective and with an approach that includes education, prevention, early diagnosis and timely treatment. The implementation of mental health programs in schools, the training of teachers to identify signs of mental disorders and the creation of safe spaces for discussion and emotional support are essential steps. As I have already said in this space, we need Emotion Hospitals and/or Emotion Clinics in as many municipalities as possible. Because for those who think this is a minor issue, I invite them to consult the figures of juvenile homicides, violence, school dropouts, pregnancies teenagers, addictions, crimes or suicides.
Prevention and early identification not only repairs lives, but also saves them.
Mafer Olvera is a specialist in youth public policy. She was director of the Youth Institute of the CDMX, 2012-2018. Creator of the Hospital de las Emociones Model. UN Awards, 2017 and CHIUKU MTV Latin America, 2016. Speaker at the UN High Level Forum, NY, 2016 and 2017. Advocate for the right to wellness and mental health.
The opinions expressed are the responsibility of the authors and are absolutely independent of the position and editorial line of the company. Opinion 51.
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