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J Family Med Prim Care
J Family Med Prim Care
JFMPC
J Family Med Prim Care
Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care
2249-4863
2278-7135
Wolters Kluwer - Medknow India

JFMPC-13-3438
10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_1686_23
Letter to Editor
Mental health and well-being amongst adolescents in today’s times
Gharde Pramita Muntode
Choudhari Sonali
Department of Community Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Faculty School of Epidemiology and Public Health, Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research, Wardha, Maharashtra, India
Address for correspondence: Dr. Pramita Muntode Gharde, Department of Community Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, School of Epidemiology and Public Health, Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research, Wardha, Maharashtra, India. E-mail: drpramitagharde1@gmail.com
8 2024
26 7 2024
13 8 34383439
14 10 2023
22 11 2023
15 1 2024
Copyright: © 2024 Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care
2024
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ This is an open access journal, and articles are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 License, which allows others to remix, tweak, and build upon the work non-commercially, as long as appropriate credit is given and the new creations are licensed under the identical terms.
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pmcDear sir,

Adolescents today constitute 1.2 billion in this world of 7 billion individuals.

Mental disorders in adolescents constitute 13% of the global burden. Adolescence is a phase of changes in physical, mental, and social elements in an individual; if not dealt cautiously, it leads to a confused adult and poor productivity.[1] Some of the most common mental health disorders are emotional disorders, behavioural disorders, risk-taking behaviours, self-harm, suicidal tendencies, eating disorders, and coping disorders.[23]

Adolescents must develop social and emotional habits which can assist them in coping skills. Poor mental health is associated with domestic violence, child abuse, bullying, peer pressure, substance abuse, human immunodeficiency virus infection, and teenage pregnancy.[3] The transition through this phase can impact the health and well-being later in life.[4] Dealing with it will deliver a “triple dividend”, improving their health now, enhancing it throughout life, and contributing to the health of future generations.[2]

The World Health organization (WHO) has recommended certain interventions: to take charge of one’s emotions, facilitate alternatives to risk-taking behaviours, and develop flexibility for managing adverse situations, promoting the supportive social environments and social networks of the individual. It requires a multi-level approach through digital media and social settings in schools and community.[2]

UNICEF and WHO initiated Helping Adolescents Thrive (HAT). The Government of India has started the National Adolescent Health Program (Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram) for young individuals.[5] Still, the huge gap remains towards the mental health needs of adolescents.[56]

The Sustainable Development Goals look ahead to six action areas for the youth: zero hunger, quality education, gender equality, decent work and economic growth, reduced inequalities, and climate action.[7]

In the same context, one of the main goals of public health is the promotion of mental health disorders and their consequences,[8] which can be improved upon by Mental Health Literacy, which deals with action taken by individuals or groups to benefit the mental health of themselves or of others.[9] This program aims to promote overall mental health well-being, facilitate help seeking behaviours in the adolescents on their own, raise awareness of the consequences of certain risky behaviours (substance abuse), and identify mental health disorders (i.e. anxiety, depression, eating and behaviour disorders, psychotic disorder, self-harm, and suicidal behaviours) and when or where to seek treatment so as to eventually prevent and detect mental health-related problems early.[10]

Financial support and sponsorship

Nil.

Conflicts of interest

There are no conflicts of interest.
==== Refs
1 Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-mental-health
2 Mehra D Lakiang T Kathuria N Kumar M Mehra S Sharma S Mental health interventions among adolescents in India: A scoping review Healthcare (Basel) 2022 10 337 35206951
3 Das JK Salam RA Lassi ZS Khan M Mahmood W Patel V Interventions for adolescent mental health: An overview of systematic reviews J. Adolesc Health 2016 59 S49 60 27664596
4 Saxena S Funk M Chisholm D WHO's Mental Health Action Plan 2013–2020: What can psychiatrists do to facilitate its implementation? World Psychiatry 2014 13 107 24890053
5 Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, Strategy Handbook, Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram 2014 Available from: https://nhm.gov.in/images/pdf/programmes/RKSK/RKSK_Strategy_Handbook.pdf [Last accessed on 08 Oct 2023]
6 Srivastava K Chatterjee K Bhat PS Mental health awareness: The Indian scenario Ind Psychiatry J 2016 25 131 28659690
7 Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-mental-health
8 Jorm A We need to move from ‘mental health literacy’ to ‘mental health action.’ Ment Heal Prev 2020 18 200179
9 World Health Organization. Adolescent mental health: Mapping actions of non governmental organizations and other international development organizations 2012 Available from: https://www.who.int//news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-mental-health [Last accessed on 2023 Oct 11]
10 Casañas R Castellvi P Gil JJ Torres-Torres M Barón J Teixidó M The effectiveness of a “EspaiJove.net” - a school-based intervention programme in increasing mental health knowledge, help seeking and reducing stigma attitudes in the adolescent population: A cluster randomised controlled trial BMC Public Health 2022 22 2425 36566192
