1 in 2 Adolescents Suffers from Mental Disorder

A study published in Lancet Neurology is of the opinion that 1 in every 2 adolescents especially between the ages of 10 and 24 suffers from mental disorders such as depression, schizophrenia, alcohol dependence and bipolar disorder. These mental disorders add up to more than 45% of the disease burden borne by adolescents. This trend is not localised but is a global phenomenon.

The study was conducted to monitor the leading causes that affect the health of adolescents compared to the factors that affect the health of the general population. It has been found that the major risk factors that affect the future health of all age groups are hygiene, unsafe sex, unclean water and alcohol abuse. However, for those aged 10 – 24 the major risk factors are lack of contraception, iron deficiency, drug abuse and alcohol.

The mental health of adolescents being affected by mental disorders has been a major cause of worry for most researchers. However, they are yet to investigate the lifestyle triggers that lead to such drastic behavioural and mental damage.