Mental health problems are not tangibleHowever, they exist and have the capacity to disrupt the normality of the daily lives of the people who suffer from them. Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) highlights that 25% of people (1 in 4) will have a mental health problem throughout our livesand in 75% of cases it will be before turning 25 years old.
Therefore, based on these data, We can say that young people are a group at special risk when we talk about emotional well-being and mental health. A risk that is given by various factors, such as a traumatic situation in childhood either a complicated socioeconomic situationas well as job insecurity problemswhich makes real personal and professional development difficult for many young people.
Every day there is more talk about mental health in all environments, both public and private, and the need to provide more means to alleviate the emotional problems of young people. And we are also working to disseminate the importance of social and labor inclusion of people who suffer from mental problemsdo not stigmatize them, and promote social programs of prevention, accompaniment and support.
This is the case of Incorporates the “la Caixa” Foundationa program that promotes job placement of people with mental health problems and at risk of social exclusion, and which demands equal opportunities in employment and the role of companies in normalizing the employment situation of this group.
Young people feel they have no future
Thoroughly. Courtesy of the “la Caixa” Foundation.
A project with a transformative power and a real impact on young people who are going through moments of emotional discomfort, with employment as a powerful tool of help. Data of the Social Observatory of the “la Caixa” Foundation indicate that, among other aspects, Job insecurity affects the mental health of this group. In fact, 31% of the young people who have been interviewed for this study affirm that they have depression and anxiety, caused by a negative work situation and a feeling of lack of future due to job insecurity.
Laia Ferrerclinical psychologist and coordinator of the Guiding Team of the Vidal i Barraquer Foundation and collaborator of the program Incorporates the “la Caixa” Foundationdraws a general map of the situation of discomfort that many young people are currently experiencing and, in addition, highlights the work of accompaniment, help, guidance and listening of the specialists who, like her, participate in this social program in the path to job placement of this group.
In Thoroughlya talk with the journalist Gemma Nierga, Ferrer affirms that, indeed, depression and anxiety These are two of the big problems that young people between the ages of 16 and 25 have today. «They are reactive forms to stressful situations that they experience on a daily basis, such as separation from their parents or a change of school, for example»he points out.
«The problem», according to the specialist, «is when this emotional scenario becomes chronicnot finding a way to resolve the emotional difficulties or traumatic situations of childhood and adolescence, some of them mild which, however, can worsen if they are not treated and remain at the beginning of adult life.
At this point, it should be noted that only 30% of young people seek professional helpOf that figure, 56.8% seek help from friends and family, 26% ask for professional help, and the remaining 16% prefer to seek help on the internet and social networks, according to the study. Where and how do young people seek help when they have emotional distress? of the “la Caixa” Foundation.
Adolescence: a time of flourishing and also of discomfort
Suicide is also a factor that threatens this group. In fact, Suicide is the leading cause of death for young people between 16 and 29 years old.and behind this fact is, mainly, depression. This can in turn be determined by multiple factors, such as post-traumatic syndromes or bullyingguilty of around 200,000 suicides, according to UN data.
Regarding this aspect, Ferrer explains that «Adolescence is a time of flourishing and opportunityvery active; but it is also the moment when young people have doubts, discomfort and express it by harming themselves. Therefore, it is true that there is a desire among young people to disappear and die, “a problem that we must worry about and activate as a society.”
Ferrer also indicates that one of the scenarios where a mental health problem can best be identified among young people is educational centers. «The institute is a space where we can observe many difficultieswhich are often captured by their own classmates, friends and even teachers,” says Ferrer.
For this reason, Ferrer urges parents, friends and the educational community to be alert and pay attention in order to identify problems of discomfort in young people and be able to implement a help protocol appropriate to each of them. «We must observe if there are sudden changes in their behavior, if they have put aside the topics that interested them and now, suddenly, They slow down their social relationships, isolate themselves and do not enjoy their activities». In the case of teachers, Ferrer details what they should see “if the students are more subdued and more unsociable, and if their school performance has decreased.”
The transformative power of a job
Courtesy of the “la Caixa” Foundation.
Ferrer, in his talk Thoroughly of the “la Caixa” Foundation, also refers to the inequality of opportunities among young people who have mental health problems and/or come from a context at risk of social exclusion. «To traumatic experiences, such as situations of abuse and mistreatmentthere is also another element that marks the personal and professional development of young people, and that is that socioeconomic situations that greatly determine emotional well-being,” he explains. «A boy with academic difficulties and that their parents do not have the possibility of receiving psychopedagogical aidsis in a disadvantage compared to the rest of the boys,” he adds.
For this reason, Ferrer highlights the great work of the program Incorporates Mental Health from the “la Caixa” Foundation when it comes to putting young people in contact with companies, giving them an opportunity to develop, both from a professional and personal point of view. Ferrer argues that the Having a job helps this group to improve and have more stability in their daily lives and achieve more autonomy and independence: «The world of work makes those habits that we work with young people with mental health problems more solid. from the network of associations with which Incorpora works.
According to Ferrer, furthermore, this exchange between companies and young people is a benefit for both, as well as for society in general. «The kids who get a job they feel a lot of enthusiasm and extra motivation because they know what they are getting an important opportunity and that is transmitted, for example, when collaborating with the teams,” he details.
Along these lines, the psychologist recalls the story of a “very young” girl who abandoned all her projects due to her emotional discomfort; But with help and thanks to having a job, he has achieved a very positive evolution that fills the professionals who have accompanied him along the way with satisfaction. «For a year his goal was to have a job, he has achieved it and that has made them improve your sleeping and hygiene habitsand also meet people with whom to communicate in another way. “We are very happy with its growth,” says Ferrer.
This year alone, Incorpora Salud Mental from the “la Caixa” Foundation has served 5,300 people in 2024 and has achieved around 2,000 socio-labor insertions in 1,200 companies throughout Spain. «The role of this program is very important, it allows the needs of companies to match the capabilities of young people.», determines Ferrer.
The importance of awareness
Thoroughly. Courtesy of the “la Caixa” Foundation.
From Incorpora, in addition to the connection between companies and young people in terms of employment, it is also carry out dissemination and awareness work in order to break down the barriers faced by people suffering from depression, anxiety and other problems associated with mental health.
Break down and eliminate stigmas that, on many occasions, are an obstacle when finding a job. «Let’s try to abandon stigmatizing behaviors to promote a better future as a society»concludes Ferrer.