Contemporary aspects of mental health in young people – are they really the healthiest segment of the population?

Abstract:

The health status of children and adolescents has improved significantly in recent decades. Given the low morbidity and mortality rate, adolescents are considered the healthiest part of the entire population. However, the modern way of life has brought a change in the morbidity of young people and it is now psychosocial problems that dominate. According to the WHO, mental health disorders account for about 16% in the morbidity of adolescents. At the forefront are difficulties with psychosomatic symptoms, anxiety, fears, depression, but also mental health problems related to school failure. As many as 50% of adolescent mental disorders begin before the age of 14, but most of them are not identified and therefore not treated and continue into adulthood. The data impose the need to intensify the interdisciplinary approach to this issue, which implies the cooperation of school medicine specialists, family doctors, psychologists, but also professional associates of schools and the whole family.

Key words:
adolescents; mental health; prevention; psychosomatic difficulties; school