Chapter 9 - Transforming Cultures for the Mental Health Care of Young People: The Service Reform Imperative

Although mental health issues are the key health concern for young people today, contributing 45 percent of the total burden of disease for those aged 10 to 24 years, young people have the poorest access to mental health care of all ages across the lifespan. Despite the disproportionate impact that mental ill-health has on young people, they are the age group the least likely of all across the lifespan to receive professional care. The vast majority of young people from low- and middle-income countries are unable to access mental health care, simply because it is rarely available to them, while less than a third of young people in high-income countries who experience mental health issues access professional help.