highlights how children in South Africa face extraordinarily high levels of adversity that put their mental health at risk:
Nearly one in two of our children have experienced violence, including physical violence and sexual abuse , and findings from theindicate that in Soweto 99% of children have either witnessed or experienced violence in their homes, schools and/or communities. It’s therefore not surprising that more than one in 10 children in South Africa have a diagnosable and treatable mental disorder. This includes neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHS and autism as well as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, conduct, learning and substance-use disorders – with suicide a leading cause of death in older adolescents.
Without adequate support, children may struggle at school, with higher rates of absenteeism, grade repetition and dropout, in ways that undermine their education and economic prospects.
Because adulthood isn’t far away.