A recent report by UNICEF has found that the inaction on mental health in Latin America and the Caribbean has taken a serious toll on children's well-being and countries' economies - a situation worsened by the presence of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The report said that, while the effects on children's lives were incalculable, lost contribution to economies in these regions, due to mental disorders that lead to disability or death among young people was estimated at nearly US$30.6 billion a year.
Estimates from the State of the World's Children 2021 Report revealed that some 15 per cent or just about 16 million children and adolescents aged 10-19 in Latin America and the Caribbean, live with a diagnosed mental disorder.
"For far too long, children's mental health has been overlooked in Latin America and the Caribbean. Now, COVID-19 has thrust it into the spotlight," said Jean Gough, UNICEF regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean.
"More than 18 months of isolation from family and friends, during lockdowns, and the longest COVID-19 school closures in the world, have put the mental health of millions of the region's children at risk," she added.
The UNICEF report highlighted that, despite a growing awareness of the impact of mental health conditions, limited investments in mental health, which currently accounts for a mere 1.8 per cent of public spending in these region, continue to block children and their caregivers from getting the required help.
As such UNICEF, through the report, has called on governments along with public and private sector partners to commit, communicate and act to promote good mental health for all children, adolescents and caregivers. The body recommended the need for urgent investments to be made towards addressing mental health across all sectors supported by the integration and scaling up of evidence based interventions across health, education and social protection sectors. The need to break silence around the issue was also recommended as highly important if countries were to address stigmas and promote better understanding of mental health and take seriously the experiences of children and young people.
"The State of the World's Children is a rallying call for children's mental health that includes young voices from around the world, including Chile, Jamaica, Mexico and Peru. As parents, caregivers and decision makers, we must pay attention to young people, listen and co-create solutions for them and their families to thrive," Gough stated.
