MENTAL ILLNESS AMONG THE YOUTH ON THE RISE

Following tremendous increase of mental illness cases among youths in the country National Youth Forum For National Transformation has pointed out the main cause of this problem especially the males is the inability to express their feelings to their colleagues because they do not want to be seen as weaklings.

According to Executive Director for the Organization Chifundo Banda, most boys are often scared of sharing their problems because they do not want to be seen as weaklings in the eyes of the society as such they tend to harm themselves and join bad companies and start drinking alcohol and start smoking.

“Most affected people with mental illness are the males because they do not share their challenges they face in their daily lives as such they end up smoking and abusing drugs in order to get rid of the challenges but they do not know they are putting their health at risk.” Banda said

Banda further suggested for more open spaces where these affected young people can meet and share problems such as youth groups and provision of psychosocial personnel who can talk with these young people.

Seeming to agree is the director of Added Power And Understanding in Sex Education APAUSE who say the lack of recreation centers where these youths can meet and share problems and lack of jobs in the country is contributing to increased number of mental illness among the youths.

“There is need of more recreation centers where the youths can meet and share what they are experiencing in their daily lives as such they can share some solutions to the problems there are facing instead of smoking and drinking.”

Meanwhile Mumba recommended for outdoor sports games as a way of reducing the cases of mental illness among the youth since there are few job opportunities in the country hence sports games can help them divert from stress and drug and substance abuse.

By Trifornia Mtawali