As South Africa marks Human Rights Day on 21 March, a new report reveals a harrowing reality for the country’s youth. One in five children and adolescents faces a mental health condition, yet only ten percent of these vulnerable individuals can access the necessary care.
This alarming statistic not only reflects the deficiencies in the healthcare system but also constitutes a profound violation of children’s human rights.
The South African Society of Psychiatrists (SASOP) highlights that the roots of most lifelong mental health disorders begin by the age of 14, suggesting that failure to provide adequate mental healthcare during childhood and adolescence can jeopardise an individual’s potential and diminish their quality of life into adulthood.
Professor Renata Schoeman, a member of SASOP, notes, ‘The rights of children and adolescents to safety, education, dignity, equality, and protection from maltreatment, neglect and abuse cannot be realised while their right of access to appropriate, quality healthcare continues to be neglected,’
SASOP argues for a paradigm shift in the delivery of mental healthcare for this demographic. ‘The state must adopt a rights-based approach towards mental health,’ Schoeman asserts.
This involves transitioning away from the traditional medicalised framework to a model that integrates primary healthcare with social services, placing schools at the forefront of early screening and intervention.
SASOP calls for the urgent execution of the National Mental Health Policy Framework and Strategic Plan 2023─2030, which, if implemented efficiently, could form a robust backbone for community-based mental health care.
‘Children have a right not only to physical health but also to mental health,’ emphasises Schoeman, who is on Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi’s Ministerial Advisory Council on Mental Health. ‘Yet physical health continues to overshadow mental health, despite the long-term ramifications of neglecting our future generations’ wellbeing,’
The most prevalent mental health issues amongst children and adolescents include neuro-developmental disorders, anxiety-related disorders, stress and trauma-related conditions, as well as depressive disorders.
The need for early intervention and psychosocial support is crucial, as research shows that timely help can prevent mental struggles from escalating into chronic issues that persist into adulthood.
However, South Africa faces a scarcity of mental health professionals. With fewer than 40 registered specialists in child and adolescent psychiatry spread across both public and private sectors most in Gauteng and the Western Cape profound disparities exist especially in rural areas.
In many provinces, adolescents may find themselves placed in adult wards or juvenile detention centres, heightening their vulnerability instead of providing the help they need.
Furthermore, less than one percent of the national mental health budget is earmarked for children’s mental health, a figure that dismally aligns with the amount of care being offered.
‘The burden is heaviest where services are weakest,’ Schoeman laments, noting that the lack of community resources leaves families struggling without adequate support during critical developmental stages.
To address these systemic issues, Schoeman advocates for a cooperative approach across the departments of Health, Education, and Social Development, who currently operate in silos rather than collaboratively.
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Picture: Unsplash
