Mental health in adolescents
Most mental disorders begin during adolescence
and there is evidence that they are persistent into
adulthood.1,2 However, quite frequently mental illness
is undetected until later in life, causing complications
for the individual, family and society as a
whole. Mental illness during adolescence can result
in functional impairment, exposure to stigmas and
discrimination, an increased risk for premature death,
and is associated with an increase in healthcare costs.2
Adolescents with mental illness are at heightened
risk for unplanned and repeat pregnancies which
may further interfere with normative development
as it often disrupts schooling, mating, access to support
systems and personal psychological development.3
This risk is potentiated as many teenagers
report that they did not have access to mental health
care or were not aware of available services.4 In addition,
at-risk teenagers report being more dissatisfied
with the mental health care they receive compared
with older counterparts.4 Successful delivery ofmental
health services to teenagers is imperative. Yet, it
often falls short. Mental health care for this vulnerable
group, particularly those who parent, must be
widely advertised, easily accessible and contain comprehensive
services delivered in familiar settings
such as primary care.