59.3% of Spanish young people between 15 and 29 years old acknowledge suffering from mental health problems according to data from the ‘IV Youth Barometer 2023. Health and well-being’ carried out by the Mutua Madrileña Foundation and Fad Juventud. The entities released the data on the occasion of the World Mental Health Daywhich is celebrated this Tuesday.
According to the authors of the study, material lack is one of the most determining variables when declaring a worse state of mental health. 27.1% of those who claim to suffer from severe material deprivation report suffering from disorders very frequently or continuously, a percentage that drops to 13.1% among those who do not suffer from deprivation.
Of the total number of young people who declared having suffered psychological, psychiatric or mental health problems in the last twelve months, 62.5% requested professional help, compared to 51% in 2021. The main reason why young people say they do not go to professional help to alleviate their mental health problems is the economic issue (37,8%).
31.7% of those surveyed maintain that they have taken psychotropic drugs. Of them, more than half did it without a prescription (17.8% compared to 13.9% who did it with a prescription).
On the other hand, 23.8% have ever experienced suicidal ideas, 11.3% think about suicide with some frequency and 13.8% do so very frequently or continuously. Young people with mild and severe material deprivation had suicidal ideations with proportions of 29.8% and 34.8%, respectively.