Nov 9, 2019, New Delhi Times: Mental Health Disorders Drive Youths to Risky Conduct, UN Agencies Say https://www.newdelhitimes.com/mental-health-disorders-drive-youths-to-risky-conduct-un-agencies-say/ (VOICE OF AMERICA) Two leading U.N. agencies are warning that growing mental health disorders among children and adolescents are driving them to engage in increasingly risky, self-destructive behavior. The World Health Organization and the U.N. children’s fund, which on Thursday opened a three-day conference on the issue in Florence, Italy, reported that up to 20% of adolescents globally experience mental health disorders, with half of these conditions starting in youths before they turn 14. Chiara Servili, a technician in WHO’s Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, told VOA the crisis has no borders. She said children in both low- and high-income countries face depression, anxiety and emotional distress…. She said adolescents living in richer countries also have to contend with violence. They can also face stresses related to unstable families, bullying at school and through social media, and a wide range of other difficult experiences. WHO said depression is one of the leading causes of illness and disability among adolescents worldwide. It said suicide is the third-leading cause of death in adolescents aged 15 to 19. …
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