Topic 1 Definition of “stigma”

The World Health Organization estimates that around “10-20% of adolescents around the world experience mental illness, yet these remain underdiagnosed and undertreated” (Kessler, 2007). Indeed, mental health remains a critical issue in our society today, since millions of people, and especially adolescents, are battling with mental health complications. According to the European Commission (EC, 2023) “[…] before the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health problems already affected 1 in 6 people in the EU, situation which has worsened with the unprecedented crises experienced over the past years”. Many studies revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic results in increases in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression among adolescents, as well as stress and general mental health issues (Garcez, 2021, 33).

As it is stated in the same source, around 84 million people in the EU are currently facing mental health problems. It is imperative to mention that mental health issues are becoming less a taboo as our society is advancing, and, indeed, nowadays people are more open to discussing these issues than in the past. However, there is still a lot of work needed to be done, so that the mental wellbeing of the next generation is protected. Given that mental health issues are a prevalent issue of the current time, especially since the world has just suffered a pandemic of worldwide scale, it is necessary to examine the barriers to mental health awareness and treatment.