According to the Pan American Health Organization, mental disorders are partly caused by “uncertainty about the future.”
MEXICO CITY (apro).- One in seven individuals aged between 10 and 19 years suffers from a mental disorder, partially due to “uncertainty about the future,” reports from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) reveal, as stated by Mariana Gutiérrez Lara, the new coordinator of the Youth Research Seminar (SIJ) at UNAM.
The health promotion and addictive behavior prevention specialist highlighted the impact that mental disorders can have on adolescents, according to the World Health Organization (WHO):
- Social exclusion
- Discrimination
- Stigmatization
- Educational challenges
- Poor physical health
- Violation of human rights
These factors, she warned in a university press release, could either increase their likelihood of seeking help or lead them towards risky behaviors.
Gutiérrez Lara mentioned that the feeling of “having nothing certain” is increasingly affecting young people and their interactions within educational spaces.
New Challenges
Author of the study “Analysis of Violence and Child Psychopathology,” Mariana Gutiérrez Lara assumed the leadership of the SIJ at the beginning of January this year, taking over from José Antonio Pérez Islas.
The researcher from the Faculty of Psychology noted that UNAM has been significantly supportive of its students.
In this regard, she added, the SIJ is pushing forward to meet the challenges faced by this demographic, for example, by exploring new connections through the adoption of technology, addressing the experiences of young migrants, and examining different masculinities.
“The Seminar aims to develop mechanisms for understanding how young people live through these transitions and what additional actions we can contribute as a university to society, in order to create more effective ways of interacting, leveraging public, private, and digital realms for their benefit,” she stated.
Therefore, she explained, the SIJ will be updated and strengthened with the following elements:
- An agenda focused on deepening research lines that address current and emerging challenges
- Enhancing new research pathways with a social impact
- Expanding training opportunities
- Facilitating dialogue between the university and youth groups, civil organizations, and national and international academic networks.
Research Directions
Mariana Gutiérrez Lara added that, in the new phase of the Seminar, part of the effort will be “to collectively create psychosocial tools that enable them to navigate through youth and adulthood in a calmer, more peaceful and secure manner, focused on their personal development as well as other modes of socialization and dialogue, which are urgently needed globally.”
Research will continue on how young people adapt and whether they experience periods of stress, anxiety, depression, and how these issues might be addressed for their optimal personal growth.
The researcher reiterated the new lines of work in the SIJ:
- Comprehensive health of youth, including physical, cognitive, social, and emotional self-care
- Non-violent conflict management and assertive communication
- New masculinities (from personal to collective)
- Ethical and responsible use of artificial intelligence and social networks
- Challenges faced by young migrants
With the results of this academic activity, she affirmed, it will be possible to influence public and institutional policies, for instance, in the General Law of Youth being discussed in Congress.
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