The wellbeing in adolescence and early adulthood has a special significance because during these years, young people develop: their identity, emotional awareness, independence, social relationships, values, aspirations, decision-making skills. It is a time of becoming. While protecting young people's mental and physical health is essential, wellbeing also means creating the conditions in which young people can explore, participate, contribute and grow with confidence. Wellbeing grows where there is curiosity instead of fear, participation instead of exclusion, belonging instead of isolation, and opportunities to learn from both success and failure.
Youth is more than transformation and becoming. It's the time to be the most creative and courageous, it's when ideas become values, interests become passions, choices define the future and everything could become a challenge.
Youth is more than transformation and becoming. It's the time to be the most creative and courageous, it's when ideas become values, interests become passions, choices define the future and everything could become a challenge.
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Living day by day under so much pressure, it is not a wonder that young people have reported much higher levels of anxiety and depression since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic compared with the general adult population. This has widened existing differences. Data from July 2021 point to:
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MENTAL HEALTH touches everything in life
Mental ill-health can have devastating effects on individuals, families and communities, with one in every two people experiencing a mental illness in their lifetime. Symptoms of anxiety and depression as much as doubled at the height of COVID-19 pandemic, and a confluence ofmultiple emerging and enduring crises – such as the cost-of-living and climate crises – continue to heighten the risk factors for poor mental health.
Mental ill-health also weighs heavily on societies and economies. The economic burden of mental ill-health can rise to up to 4% of GDP. Individuals experiencing mental-ill health have poorer educational, employment, and physical health outcomes than those in good mental health. Yet, historically, as much as two thirds of people seeking mental health support reported difficulties getting it.
The costs of mental ill-health for individuals, employers and society at large are enormous. Mental illness is responsible for a very significant loss of potential labour supply, high rates of unemployment, and a high incidence of sickness absence and reduced productivity at work. In particular, mental illness causes too many young people to leave the labour market, or never really enter it, through early moves onto disability benefit. Despite these very high costs to the individuals and the economy, there is only little awareness about the connection between mental health and work, and the drivers behind the labour market outcomes and the level of inactivity of people with mental ill-health.
Source: How to Make Societies Thrive? Coordinating Approaches to Promote Well-being and Mental Health
Mental ill-health also weighs heavily on societies and economies. The economic burden of mental ill-health can rise to up to 4% of GDP. Individuals experiencing mental-ill health have poorer educational, employment, and physical health outcomes than those in good mental health. Yet, historically, as much as two thirds of people seeking mental health support reported difficulties getting it.
The costs of mental ill-health for individuals, employers and society at large are enormous. Mental illness is responsible for a very significant loss of potential labour supply, high rates of unemployment, and a high incidence of sickness absence and reduced productivity at work. In particular, mental illness causes too many young people to leave the labour market, or never really enter it, through early moves onto disability benefit. Despite these very high costs to the individuals and the economy, there is only little awareness about the connection between mental health and work, and the drivers behind the labour market outcomes and the level of inactivity of people with mental ill-health.
Source: How to Make Societies Thrive? Coordinating Approaches to Promote Well-being and Mental Health
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