»Suizid ist die fünfthäufigste Todesursache unter Jugendlichen zwischen 10 und 19 Jahren«

Children around the world have been locked out of classrooms, sequestered in their homes and robbed of the everyday joy of playing with friends – all consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Millions more families have been pushed into poverty, unable to make ends meet. Child labour, abuse and gender-based violence are on the rise. Many children are filled with sadness, hurt or anxiety. Some are wondering where this world is headed and what their place is in it. Indeed, these are very challenging times for children and young people, and this is the state of their world in 2021. But even absent a pandemic, psychosocial distress and poor mental health afflict far too many children – including millions who, each year, are forced from their homes, scarred by conflict and serious adversity, and deprived of access to schooling, protection and support. In fact, the COVID-19 pandemic represents merely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to poor mental health outcomes. (…)

• It is estimated that more than 13 per cent of adolescents aged 10–19 live with a diagnosed mental disorder as defined by the World Health Organization. This represents 86 million adolescents aged 15–19 and 80 million adolescents aged 10–14.
• 89 million adolescent boys aged 10–19 and 77 million adolescent girls aged 10–19 live with a mental disorder. Prevalence rates of diagnosed disorders are highest in the Middle East and North Africa, North America and Western Europe regions.
• Anxiety and depression make up about 40 per cent of these diagnosed mental disorders; the others include attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, conduct disorder, intellectual disability, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, autism, schizophrenia and a group of personality disorders.
• Children and young people also report psychosocial distress that does not rise to the level of epidemiological disorder but disrupts their lives, health and prospects for the future.
• According to research carried out by Gallup for UNICEF’s upcoming Changing Childhood report, a median of 19 per cent of 15- to 24-year-olds in 21 countries self-reported in the first half of 2021 that they often feel depressed or have little interest in doing things.
• An estimated 45,800 adolescents die from suicide each year, or more than 1 person every 11 minutes.
• Suicide is the fifth most prevalent cause of death for adolescent boys and girls aged 10–19; for adolescents 15–19, it is the fourth most common cause of death, after road injury, tuberculosis and interpersonal violence. For girls aged 15–19, it is the third most common cause of death, and the fourth for boys in this age group.

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