“Social pressure is real, social networks can affect our mental health, but still We are in time to avoid a high level of digital poisoning“he explained José Ángel, 17 years old and member of the Unicef Spain Advisory Group in the presentation of the latest Opinion Barometer of Children and Adolescents.
This Tuesday, the international organization presented its latest study on mental health of Spanish adolescents in which they emphasize that “the impact of social networks has generated a significant increase in mental health problems.” The work of Unicef Spain has been developed during the 2023-2024 academic year with the participation of 168 educational centers and the opinions of 4,740 adolescents between 13 and 18 years old.
In it, more than half of the adolescents consulted consider quite or very dangerous for mental health the networks most used by them (X, TikTok and Instagram), although they also recognize that they are their allies when looking for information. However, only one out of ten teenagers would suggest searching for help on the internet and social networks.
“People are afraid that their peers will see them talking to a counselor because I have a mental health problem.“
For José Ángel, 17 years oldone of the young people who interpreted the data, “it is important to have someone at the center to talk to when you are under pressure with exams or any other problem, but they are not usually available, plus people are afraid that their colleagues see them talk to a counselor because I have a mental health problem.
“The pressure to have good grades generates stress, also the pressure to fit into a society and the fear of not being able to do so; all of this damages our mental health,” he said. Alae, 16 years oldin the presentation of the report, and has asked the media to have the opinion of young people and do not always present them as vulnerable people.
Las Mañanas de RNE – Social networks and mental health in children and adolescents: make responsible use to alleviate their impact – Listen now
He 40.5% of adolescents consider the probability that their educational center, specifically, guidance and tutoring professionals, will help them as low or very low. The reasons: lack of confidence in the people who perform those roles (56.4%); to think that they are not going to save the secret (49.3%); believe that those professionals they don’t have the training adequate to be able to help them (43.1%) and consider that these people have other tasks that they must attend to and do not have time (37.7%).
41.1% with mental health problems
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately between 10 and 20% of teenagers experience mental health problems around the world, a figure that skyrockets in this study where four out of ten Spanish adolescents (41.1%) states that they have had—or believe they have had—a mental health problem during the last year, although more than half have not asked for help and a third have not told anyone.
The researcher at the University of Seville and director of the study, Pilar Ramos Valverde, explains that the data on mental illness in adolescents “are very similar” around the world and that in this barometer “the percentage is higher because it includes both who state that they have had a mental illness such as those who believe they have had it“.
According to the psychologist Pedro Neirahead of the Department of Psychology at the López Ibor Clinic, “the impact of social networks has generated a significant increase in problems such as anxietythe low self-esteem and the mood disorders among young people.” The constant exposure to idealized images and the social comparison are factors that contribute to this phenomenon. Furthermore, the academic pressure and the social expectations have aggravated these problems.
Despite one in four Teenagers think that people with mental health problems they feel ashamed (25.8%), almost eight out of ten (78.5%) assure that I would maintain friendship with someone your age who is visiting or has visited a mental health professional.
Just over half do not ask for help
“They do not know who or where to turn and they think that their problem is not important to ask for help.“
He 51.4% have not asked for help anyone when they have had a mental health problem because they don’t know who to turn to or does not consider the problem to be important. According to the researcher at the University of Seville and author of the report, Pilar Ramos, many adolescents with mental health problems “do not know who or where to turn and think that their problem is not important to ask for help.”
Other reasons given: six out of ten want to keep in secret their mental health problems, two out of three teenagers don’t want their families or guardians find out what is happening to them, they believe it is better to let time pass (56%) or they don’t trust in the staff of their educational center (56%).
Those who do ask for it, do so in their immediate environment: their friends (73.6%), professional psychological help (60.8%), professionals from the educational center (34%) and from medicine and psychiatry (30%). or listening to professionals on the internet and social networks (32.7%).
The study also shows that more than four out of ten adolescents consider their mental health problems they are not importantthey don’t know what’s happening to them or they don’t know who or where to turn.
How do you take care of mental health?
Young people believe that they take care of themselves sleeping habits (74.9% think so), physical exercise (62.3%) and wear a balanced diet (50.6%). As external determinants, they point out the good relationship with their parents (82.6%), the support from close people (82%) and doing things that they like and make them feel good (78.6%).
Regarding the factors that harm their mental health, the researcher explained that adolescents point to “the low self-esteemhe alcohol consumption and others drugshave problems physical health and have economic difficulties“. “If we ask them about the external ones, they highlight being a victim of bullying either cyberbullyingand have family problems.”
Prevention and listening to young people
Among the recommendations of the children’s defense entity is to strengthen the prevention, early detection and care of mental health in primary care and other health systems.
Also, campaigns awarenessimprove knowledge and updated official datapromote the training of professionals in the educational field, promote a greater involvement of minors and promote a digital space in the key of emotional well-being
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) one in four people You will experience a mental disorder throughout your life. Not only will 25% of the world’s population suffer from a mental illness, but the WHO also warns that these types of disorders will represent the main cause of disability in the world in the year 2030.
Currently, mental disorders represent the 12.5% of all health problems global, a figure higher than that of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. These data reflect the growing magnitude of mental health problems and emphasize the need to strengthen both the prevention such as resources for treatment.