By Seleoe Nonyane
The United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) reckons that investment in interventions that promote the mental health and psychosocial well-being of children and adolescents should be a high priority.
The international body said this yesterday in a statement to mark World Mental Health Day.
The day is celebrated annually on October 10 to promote global mental health education, raise awareness and advocacy against social stigma.
According to a 2023 report by UNICEF, globally, over 250 million children and adolescents struggle with mental health conditions, many currently undiagnosed and untreated.
The report indicates that half of all mental health conditions emerge before the age 14, and early onset in childhood or adolescence of conditions such as anxiety (generalized anxiety disorder), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and depression is associated with worse lifetime outcomes.
Unicef says taking action to promote and treat mental health and psychosocial well-being is essential to improve downstream impacts on education and future economic outcomes.
According to a 2016 study led by Dr Daniel Vigo of the Harvard School of Public Health, in work supported by Partners In Health one-fifth of Lesotho’s 2.2 million people suffer from mental illness.
