NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 5 – As COVID-19 heads into its third year, the impact on children and young people’s mental health and well-being continues to weigh heavily.
According to the latest data from UNICEF, globally, at least 1 in 7 children has been directly affected by lockdowns, while more than 1.6 billion children have suffered some loss of education.
The State of the World’s Children 2021 report, noted that even before the pandemic, far too many children were burdened under the weight of unaddressed mental health issues.
UNICEF Representative to Kenya Maniza Zaman called for urgent investment in child and adolescent mental health which the report finds that about 2 per cent of government health budgets are allocated to mental health spending globally, far less than what is needed to prevent the death of almost 46,000 adolescents from suicide annually.
“Children and young people in Kenya have felt the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their mental health as much as anywhere else in the world,” Zaman said.
“During school closures, children suffered learning loss and were at greater risk of violence and abuse. Young people saw their job opportunities shrink. All this takes a toll on mental health. UNICEF worked to ensure that children could access the support they need, including through the 116 helplines and also as they returned to school,” she said.
Diagnosed mental disorders, including ADHD, anxiety, and depression e.t.c. can significantly harm children and young people’s health, education, life outcomes and earning capacity.
While the impact on children’s lives is incalculable, a new analysis by the London School of Economics in the report indicates that lost contribution to economies due to mental disorders that lead to disability or death among young people is estimated at nearly $390 billion a year.
“Mental health is a part of physical health – we cannot afford to continue to view it as otherwise,” said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore.
“For far too long, in rich and poor countries alike, we have seen too little understanding and too little investment in a critical element of maximizing every child’s potential. This needs to change.”
The State of the World’s Children 2021 has in the meantime called on governments, and public and private sector partners, to commit, communicate and act to promote mental health for all children, adolescents and caregivers, protect those in need of help, and care for the most vulnerable, including:
Urgent investment in child and adolescent mental health across sectors, not just in health, to support a whole-of-society approach to prevention, promotion and care.
Integrating and scaling up evidence-based interventions across health, education and social protection sectors – including parenting programs that promote responsive, nurturing care giving and support parent and caregiver mental health; and ensuring schools support mental health through quality services and positive relationships.
Breaking the silence surrounding mental illness, through addressing stigma and promoting better understanding of mental health and taking seriously the experiences of children and young people.
