The Need for Focus on Adolescent Mental Health
According to recent epidemiological data, it has been highlighted that a majority of ongoing mental disorders have their onset during the years of adolescence and young adulthood. It is reported that more than 1 in 7 adolescents between the ages of 10 and 19 lives with a diagnosed mental disorder, with anxiety and depression accounting for over 40% of diagnoses.
It is a well-established fact that mental disorders mostly begin in developmental age, and often evolve into adulthood due to a large number of contributing causes. Both clinical evidence and studies on the plasticity of the nervous system confirm that the interaction between innate endowment and environment is crucial during development, requiring attention and targeted interventions.
The life span perspective has made it possible to identify in many pathologies the presence of developmental windows, i.e. periods of greater sensitivity and transformability of functions and skills. The cerebral “malleability” of adolescence can be imagined as a magnifying glass on which various stresses can interfere in the development process with effects that can last over time.
In recent years, there has been a significant increase in requests for diagnoses and interventions for developmental neuropsychic disorders, and a rapid change in the type of users and families and their needs. The prevalence of various mental health issues among adolescents, such as depressive and anxious episodes, substance or behavioral addictions, and eating disorders, has dramatically increased.
As a result, there is a need to structure a transition age psychiatry from 15 to 24 years, with collaboration between child psychiatry and neuropsychiatry, as well as integration within the mental health area, particularly in the youth and adolescent area, which also includes paediatrics, addiction services, and clinical psychology.
To address this growing concern, awareness campaigns in schools, screening for mental disorders, greater information for parents, early recognition of disorders, and the creation of multidisciplinary teams are among the responses that need to be implemented by involving the institutions.
It is essential to prioritize and focus on the mental health of adolescents, as early intervention and support can have a significant impact on their overall well-being and future outcomes.
* Co-President of the Italian Society of Neuropsychopharmacology