The data is overwhelming: depressionthe anxiety or the stress They begin in 75% of cases before the age of 25. That suicide is the leading cause of death among young people between 16 and 29 years old is also shocking. It is worrying that adolescence is the period of life in which more factors develop that can trigger mental problems throughout our lives. It is also scary to know that, according to the World Health Organization, 25% of the population will have a mental health problem during their lifetime. Luckily, the heart is relieved thanks to social programs such as those of the ”la Caixa” Foundation, which seek to respond to social challenges and issues that concern today’s society.
Mental health and its determinants in young people have become a priority for governments throughout the territory. At a global level, it even has a day: October 10, when the World Mental Health Day with the aim of raising awareness about this problem. The journalist talks about her Gemma Nierga and Laia Ferrerclinical psychologist and coordinator of the guiding team of the Vidal i Barraquer Foundation, to delve into the causes of the increase in mental health problems in youth and how we can, as a society, offer effective support. They do so within the framework of a new chapter of A Fondo de Fundación ”la Caixa”.
Lights and shadows
«Adolescence is a time of flourishing, opportunities and a lot of activity, but it is also a time of many doubts and discomforts. Sometimes, the teenagers They express this discomfort by harming themselves. Fortunately, in many cases, these behaviors have more to do with a discharge and expression of discomfort and are easier to redirect. It is also true that, in some cases, there is a real desire to disappear or die. That is where we have to worry and become more active as a society and as health professionals,” says the psychologist.
Identifying the warning signs of a possible mental health problem is more than necessary, but it is not always easy. «Above all, you have to observe if there are sudden changes in the functioning of the boy or girl. For example, in young people who have had interests and have been able to connect with relations social or in communication with the family and that, suddenly, they go backwards, they become more isolated and perhaps they no longer enjoy the activities they used to,” he points out.
Greater vulnerability
Laia Ferrer says that there are two main social conditions that make some young people more vulnerable to having mental health problems. «One is when there is experiences traumatic in childhood, situations of neglect, abuse, mistreatment. The other, when there are socioeconomic situations that greatly condition emotional well-being. For example, a boy with academic difficulties whose parents cannot provide the psycho-educational help he needs is at a disadvantage,” he explains.
Incorpora Program of the ”la Caixa” Foundation
And the current mental health model focuses excessively on the biological aspects of the person, neglecting key aspects such as prevention or the analysis of the social aspects that surround the person. «In addition to adolescence itself, there are other risk factors that make this life stage a period critical. Among these factors, social factors are crucial, such as social conditions (situations of social exclusion, traumatic and adversity experiences, socioeconomic conditions) and family factors (response to children’s needs, parenting style, mental health of parents and family structure).
This is what the article states Caring for child and adolescent mental healthalso in families in situations of social vulnerability: a challenge of today’s society, which highlights the need to enhance mental health resources, especially for the most vulnerable groups, published by the CaixaProinfancia Program. Through this project, ”la Caixa” Foundation collaborates with different social entities to offer support and resources to children, families and people in situations of poverty or social exclusion in order to help them overcome the most difficult moments.
The burden of job insecurity
According to an article in ”la Caixa” Foundation Social Observatorythe feeling of job insecurity affects the mental health of young people. One of the possible explanations is that this situation can slow down their expectations of emancipation and achieving their life goals. «The world of work empowers. That is why it is very important that there are projects that, in some way, make it possible to match the needs of companies with the capabilities of young people, so that companies can have a successful experience with these young people and that young people can also develop their abilities,” says the clinical psychologist and also a collaborator of the Incorpora Program of the ”la Caixa” Foundation, whose role in this field is fundamental.
The world of work enablesClinical psychologist
Through the line of action Incorporates Mental Healththe program promotes the employment of people with mental health problems, combating stigmas and prejudices, which continue to be the main barrier in the labor insertion of this group and which causes it to be one of the population groups with a high unemployment rate. higher.
«Many times, these young people need a accompaniment to think about what capabilities they have to be able to develop at work. They need support in the selection process: how to do an interview, how to look for a job, how to organize themselves with all this… And later, when they are lucky enough to be able to find a job, they also need support to resolve doubts and small conflicts. that they can find”, highlights Laia Ferrer in her conversation with Gemma Nierga.
From the network of social entities that collaborate with the program, the needs of each company are analyzed and a tailored plan is designed that includes advice and support in incorporation into the job, adaptation and subsequent maintenance. In 2024, the program has served 5,300 people with mental health problems and has achieved nearly 2,000 socio-labor insertions in 1,200 companies throughout Spain.
Self-esteem and well-being
Working and having a work routine makes it easier for people with mental health problems to structure their life project, while giving them an active role in society that increases their self-esteem and welfare. “Young people with mental health problems who access their first job opportunity arrive with great enthusiasm, with extra motivation,” celebrates Laia Ferrer, who shares a case.
Laia Ferrer and Gemma Nierga in the program A Fondo
«This is a girl who, at a very young age, abandoned all her academic projects due to her mental health problems and her goal, for a year and a half, was to work. You have received help from the teams of health mentalbut also from technicians who have been able to accompany her in this search and training process to find a job,” she says. «Today, he is developing well in that job, but, in addition, there are aspects of his mental health that have improved, such as sleeping and hygiene habits. Furthermore, the work has allowed him to meet other people with whom he can communicate in a way that he was not able to in his immediate environment,” he adds.
With other groups
But the Incorpora Program also accompanies other groups at risk of exclusion to promote their labor inclusion. This is the case of people with physical, intellectual or sensory disabilities; women victims of gender violence, migrants, young people, people over 45 years of age and people with mental health problems. addictionsamong others. Since its launch in 2006, more than 450,000 people in vulnerable situations have found employment through Incorpora.
This is how ”la Caixa” Foundation claims equal opportunities in employment and remembers that people with mental health problems can access any employment for whom they meet the necessary skills, since their diagnosis is not decisive when evaluating their candidacy.