🧠 Mental Health Is Everyone’s Business: Protecting the Next Generation

By Agueda Estrada Calle

We teach children to say "I'm fine" long before we teach them to say “I’m struggling.” That needs to change.

Mental health conversations often begin too late—after a crisis, a diagnosis, or a breaking point. But what if we made mental well-being a priority from the very start? What if we built communities, systems, and policies that truly protected it?

As someone who supports families in planning for the future, I've learned this: true protection isn't just financial or legal—it’s emotional, psychological, and relational. And nowhere is this more crucial than in the lives of young people.

🌱 What Is Mental Health?

Mental health is more than the absence of illness. It’s the presence of well-being. It allows us to:

  • Cope with everyday challenges
  • Realise our potential
  • Build relationships rooted in trust and care
  • Contribute meaningfully to our families and communities

It is a basic human right, and a non-negotiable foundation for a fulfilling life.

🌍 Young People, Real Struggles

  • 1 in 7 adolescents (10–19) lives with a mental health condition
  • Depression, anxiety, and behavioural disorders are among the top global causes of illness and disability in adolescents
  • Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death for people aged 15–29

Without early support, these struggles don’t disappear—they deepen. They carry into adulthood, shaping opportunities, relationships, and identities.

⚠️ Understanding the Risks

Mental health is influenced by:

  • Individual factors: emotional skills, genetics, brain development
  • Social factors: bullying, exclusion, family trauma
  • Structural factors: poverty, violence, discrimination, displacement

Even digital media and gender norms can shape how adolescents see themselves—and how safe they feel to reach out for help.

But risk isn’t destiny. Protective environments—nurturing families, safe schools, inclusive communities—can build resilience and restore hope.

💔 Mental Health Conditions to Know

Here are some of the most pressing conditions affecting young lives:

Anxiety & Depression

Often misunderstood or dismissed, these can lead to serious impairment in daily life and are linked to suicide if left untreated.

Behavioural Disorders

Including ADHD and conduct disorder—can affect learning, relationships, and increase the risk of justice system involvement.

Eating Disorders

Such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa—often co-exist with anxiety, depression, and self-harming behaviours. Anorexia has the highest mortality rate of any mental disorder.

Psychosis & Schizophrenia

Symptoms like hallucinations and delusions can impair learning, functioning, and social engagement. Stigma remains a huge barrier to support.

Neurodevelopmental Conditions (Neurodiversity)

These include autism, ADHD, and intellectual developmental disorders. Understanding and support—not pathologising difference—are critical.

🧭 Support and Systems That Work

Early detection matters. But treatment must go beyond medication. We need:

  • School-based emotional literacy programmes
  • Community services embedded into everyday life
  • Peer support, psychosocial therapy, and safe online spaces
  • Cross-sector collaboration (education, justice, housing, health, labour)

And yes, we need a culture shift—from crisis response to compassion-first prevention.

💼 What About Adults?

Mental health is lifelong. Disorders like bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia, and chronic anxiety affect millions globally.

Even in later life, conditions like dementia—which impact memory, mood, and independence—require our collective understanding and planning.

Dementia particularly highlights the importance of:

  • Writing a Will
  • Setting up a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA)
  • Creating an Advance Care Plan
  • Building a circle of trusted support

Because dignity doesn’t just mean quality care—it means preserving voice and choice.

🫶 Carers Matter, Too

To care for others, carers must be cared for. Whether it's parenting an anxious teenager or supporting a loved one with dementia, you deserve rest, help, and recognition.

You’re not selfish for needing support—you’re human.

✨ Final Thought

Mental health isn’t a side conversation. It sits at the heart of our homes, our schools, our communities. By understanding its complexities, building inclusive systems, and planning ahead with empathy, we don’t just protect individuals—we protect futures.

Let’s make mental well-being not just a personal priority—but a collective promise.