There's a growing consensus that the pandemic has taken a big emotional toll on young people.
Among the troubling signs, hospitals across the country have seen more teenagers showing up in their emergency rooms for mental health reasons, seeking care for everything from severe anxiety and depression, which leads to suicide attempts.
During Teen Suicide Prevention Week this week, the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) visited schools in Ivory Park township to raise awareness about mental health.
The first school the group visited was Umqhele Comprehensive School where they addressed over 150 Grade 8 learners.
According to the statement, the learners are addressed in individual classes and not in school assemblies as the messages get through to them easier, and trainers are able to interact efficiently with the pupils.
“We ensure that all groups feel that they are in a safe space, in small groups where stigma is not being so visible, and gives youth the opportunity to ask questions or ask for one on one conversation and help afterwards,” SADAG said.
After addressing many of the learners of Umqhele, the group visited Ikusasa Comprehensive School.
The SADAG Team addressed 60 educators, explaining what is depression, how to help colleagues and learners, what are the warning signs and sharing critical information on how they could assist learners that may need help.
Said Zane Wilson, founder of SADAG, who started school projects over 27 years ago, said: “Youth have been at bigger risks since the Covid issue. However, schools should be funded by a significant grant from the Government to reduce the risks of teen suicide.”
Stats
According to SADAG, the average suicide rate in teenagers is 8% of all deaths that have been reported by academic hospitals in the country, and they said, the real figure could be higher.
In 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) indicated that Suicide is the third leading cause of death in the age group of 15 – 19-year-olds.
Factors identified as contributing to suicides among young people include depression. Other mental illnesses are conduct disorder; alcohol and drug abuse, bullying, extreme anxiety, agitation or enraged behaviour, history of physical illness and the availability of firearms at home.