Adolescence and mental health

Abstract

Adolescence is a time of change: changes to hormones and the body, changes in the social environment, and changes to the brain and the mind. Although most young people develop into healthy adults, adolescence confers vulnerability to mental health problems. Many mental illnesses, including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, substance use disorders, and psychosis, first appear before the age of 24 years. What is it about adolescence that increases vulnerability to mental health problems? This is a crucial question because some mental illnesses that start in adolescence persist throughout adult life, creating long-term morbidity and a substantial burden on society. Depression alone is estimated to become the world's leading cause of disability-adjusted life-years by 2030. Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 310 diseases and injuries, 1990–2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015Ageing of the world's population is increasing the number of people living with sequelae of diseases and injuries. Shifts in the epidemiological profile driven by socioeconomic change also contribute to the continued increase in years lived with disability (YLDs) as well as the rate of increase in YLDs. Despite limitations imposed by gaps in data availability and the variable quality of the data available, the standardised and comprehensive approach of the GBD study provides opportunities to examine broad trends, compare those trends between countries or subnational geographies, benchmark against locations at similar stages of development, and gauge the strength or weakness of the estimates available. Full-Text PDF Open Access