On December 17th 1999, the United National General Assembly declared that every August 12th would be now known as International Youth Day (IYD). According to UNESCO “IYD is an annual celebration of the role of young women and men as essential partners in change, as well as an opportunity to raise awareness of the challenges and hardships facing the world’s youth”.
On August 12th 2014 International Youth Day 2014 was observed with the theme “Youth and Mental Health” under the slogan “Mental Health Matters”. In Anguilla youth are considered persons under the age of 35. During Youth some of the most turbulent changes in the lifespan occur; growing up and forging a strong identity of your own can be a difficult task in itself and can be made even more difficult when mental health issues arise. There are a variety of mental disorders that can affect persons including youth: depression, schizophrenia, anxiety and panic disorders, post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD) amongst many others.
However in Anguilla and far too many countries in this world, mental health issues are often hidden behind closed doors or worse off rarely acknowledged. Depression is one of the most common mental disorders and is estimated to affect millions of youth worldwide. It can lead to feelings of hopelessness, lack of concentration, loss of appetite and in some persons suicidal thoughts and actions etc. Despite the fact that is classified as a medical disease like diabetes or hypertension, many persons with depression and other mental disorders refuse to seek help due to the social stigma and negative labels attached to mental disease. This can lead to even more suffering for an individual with mental health issues. So what can we do? It is often stated that the first step to solving a problem is acknowledging that it exist. We as a society must recognize that people are people first; they are not simply what affect them. We cannot be quick to label someone as “crazy” if they express that they have been having some mental health issues. We cannot tell someone to “stop talkin crazy” and hope that will make it all go away.
We cannot assume that once someone has been diagnosed with a disorder then that is all they will be for the rest of their life. Instead we must encourage persons to speak their concerns/pressures and problems and to seek professional help when needed.
I would like to therefore urge all youth, all persons, to display traits of equity. In remembering the mental health of our youth we remember the health of our country. Thus, it is our duty to create a positive environment for our youth to thrive ensuring the sustainability of our beautiful island, Anguilla.
Rochelle Rogers
CARICOM Youth Ambassador
(Published without editing by The Anguillian newspaper.)
