In SA the treatment gap for children and adolescents is about 90% and only one in 10 children with a treatable mental health disorder is able to access care.
While there is no clear data as to how many children live with mental health conditions, a 2012 review found that almost 20% of children and adolescents in Africa scored above cut-off values for risk of mental disorders and 10% had been diagnosed with mental health disorders.
They argue that mental disorders in young people not only cause distress and impair their functional abilities in daily life, they often have long-term ramifications that last into adulthood. “They are also more likely to be taken into care, have poor communication skills, drop out of school and develop mental health problems and substance abuse issues themselves.”
The authors say extending therapeutic support to children and having a family-focused approach when treating parents would go a long way in safeguarding the lives of children.