Adolescents in Middle-Income Countries Shun Professional Mental Health Help

A study reveals that less than 1% of teenagers in middle-income countries, including India, seek professional help for mental health issues despite a high prevalence. The research involved over 13,000 teenagers and found a preference for informal sources of help, highlighting a need for mental health awareness programs.

Less than one per cent of teenagers in middle-income countries, including India, sought professional help for mental health problems, despite 28-50 per cent facing high levels of such issues, a recent study has found.

The research, conducted by the University of Turku in Finland, surveyed over 13,000 teenagers aged 13-15 from eight Asian and European countries, including India, Vietnam, and China. It revealed that only 0.6-0.9 per cent of girls and 0.9-1.2 per cent of boys in these middle-income countries sought professional help.

Conversely, in high-income countries such as Greece, Israel, Japan, Norway, and Finland, more adolescents sought formal help — ranging from 6-25 per cent. The findings underscore a pressing need for mental health awareness and literacy programs, particularly in lower-income countries where informal sources of help are predominantly used.