Tackling South Africa’s teen mental health crisis
October commemorates Mental Health Awareness Month. In acknowledgement of this there is a recognition that South African teens are facing a mental health crisis. Research by the Alan J Flisher Centre for Public Mental Health (CPMH) reveals alarming levels of depression and anxiety among adolescents in the Western Cape. Over 50% of 15- to 18-year-old adolescents experience elevated levels of depression symptoms, while more than 30% of adolescents aged between 10 and 14 are impacted.
Tackling this burden in a low-income setting is a challenge, but PhD candidates Mirriam Mkhize and Chesney Ward-Smith, both Sue Struengmann Fellows and based within the CPMH, have successfully tested interventions for depression and anxiety in low-income schools. This work offers a much-needed lifeline for these vulnerable age groups.