04.06.2025
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Concerns over youth mental health ahead of Child Protection Week

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  • [FILE] The lockdowns have also revealed a deeper crisis for families with young children, especially in low and middle-income countries, many of whom were already unable to access social protection services.

2 minutes

Child protection organisations have raised concerns about the increasing number of young people experiencing mental health challenges, as South Africa observes Child Protection Week from 25 May to 1 June.

This year’s campaign is held under the theme “Working together in ending violence against children.”

The Teddy Bear Foundation reports a rise in cases of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among children who have either been abused or have witnessed abuse.

Dr Shaheda Omar, Director at the Foundation, has called on the National Treasury to prioritise mental health support for the youth.

“Just to appreciate and recognise that we started Child Protection Week in 1997, we are now in 2025 and to look at the impact of Child Protection Week… I think people in the child protection sector do not only speak to this week, we speak to a 365-day campaign. So, child protection is all the time and requires a collected guide to safeguarding and protecting children,” says Omar.

Recent data from the Council for Medical Schemes (CMS) estimates South Africa’s suicide rate at 23.5 per 100 000 people, equating to around 14 000 deaths annually. The South African Federation for Mental Health reports the country has the third-highest suicide rate in Africa.

According to Mediclinic, 9% of all teenage deaths in the country are suicides, and one in five high school learners have attempted suicide.

Suicide rates remain significantly higher among men, at 37.6 per 100 000, compared to 9.8 per 100 000 for women.

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