President concerned young people rely on social media for mental health support

The President of the Republic expressed concern at the fact that a stark majority of young respondents to a major study on young people’s mental health, said they rely on social media for advice on their issues.

Addressing the seminar ‘Taking Care of our Youth’s Mental Health’, organised jointly by the Office of the President and Richmond Foundation, President George Vella said he was struck by the sheer majority of youths affected by anxiety.

Expressing concern at the pessimistic outlook about their future, Vella urged for a need to reassure young people that “it is okay not to be okay at all times”.

“Organisations like Richmond Foundation and others are out there to provide young people with tools to overcome such insecurities and have enough confidence in their abilities to build a better future on both a personal and professional level,” Vella said.

The Richmond study clearly shows that youths’ happiness and wellbeing were directly related to the support received primarily from their families followed by their friends.

“So I urge parents and guardians need to be equipped with means and tools to be able to ensure that the teens and young adults in their care feel truly supported and understood.”

Vella said he also struck by how many girls, from a very young age, feel hopeless and anxious in what they do, be it work or study.

“The Youth Mental Health Barometer conducted by the Richmond Foundation, is a much-needed databank that will serve as a basis to address the needs of the age group under study (13-year-olds to mid-20s), which is the pillar of our society, both now, and in the future… the wellbeing of young people is to have a central feature in all our policies.”

Teenagers and young adults have reported feelings of anxiety, sadness, and depression, according to new data published by Richmond Foundation. 

When asked what feelings the participants experienced in the last three months, 70% reported feelings of anxiety. 34.8% of participants reported that they felt anxious “very often”.

The study – a first of its kind – sheds light on the different factors which impact youths’ mental health well-being and delves into the different emotions youths experience, how they deal with them, and their perception of youth support services. 

A total of 417 people aged between 13 and 25 participated in the survey, a majority of which (73%) were full-time and part-time students. 

Participants were asked what feelings they had experienced in the last three months. 70% of them reported feelings of anxiety, with 34.8% reporting that they felt anxious “very often”.

Females feel more anxious than males, with 44% saying that they felt anxious “very often”. On the other hand, only 20% of males reported that.

“420 respondents reported feelings of anxiety, and we are not talking of just the odd day, but long-term feelings of anxiety,” Foundation’s CEO Stephania Dimech Sant said during the launch of the study.

“This is enough to give us the context of why we are doing this today, and why mental health services for young people need to be strengthened.”

Apart from feelings of anxiety, respondents reported also experiencing feelings of “great sadness/ depression”, with 26% saying they experienced such feelings “quite often.”

The teenagers and young adults were asked what emotions they believe typically affect young people. 91% voted for anxiety, followed by stress at 86%.

80% believed young people were affected by depression, and 54% by suicidal thoughts.