International Suicide Prevention Day: Focus on Youth Mental Health
The Canary Islands Parliament launched a new edition of its institutional videopodcast, Parlamento Abierto, on Wednesday, coinciding with International Suicide Prevention Day. The episode focused on reflecting and debating youth mental health in the Islands, a growing concern for both families and institutions, as noted by the Parliament in a statement.
### Addressing Youth Mental Health
Parliament President Astrid Pérez remarked, “Our Parliament could not miss the opportunity to discuss and contribute to an issue that is of significant concern, which is mental health in our society in general and particularly for our children and young people.”
During the videopodcast, experts from various fields delved into issues such as the impact of bullying, the pressure of social media, the rising diagnoses of disorders like ADHD and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and the alarming increase in suicide attempts among minors.
Pérez emphasised that “in the last five years, suicide attempts among children in the Canary Islands have tripled, a figure that forces us to act urgently.”
### Increasing Concerns in Society
Fernando Gómez-Pamo Guerra del Río, Director General of Mental Health and Addictions for the Government of the Canary Islands, highlighted that “more cases of minors addicted to new technologies, pornography, and online gaming are appearing in addiction treatment units.”
Marcos Val, a police officer and tutor agent specialising in minors and bullying, stated that society “is unaware of the dangerous adult communities that are present in video game chats or on TikTok, aiming to connect with young users.”
### Contributions from Experts
The discussion also featured Miguel Tomé, Vice President of the Canary Mental Health Federation; Marian Álvarez, President of the Gran Canaria Parents’ Association Federation; and Dr. Manuel Ajoy, a child and adolescent psychiatrist and coordinator of the mental health unit at Fuerteventura General Hospital.
Concluding the session, Parliament President Pérez underscored that “youth mental health is not just a political or health challenge, but above all, a societal challenge that we must confront together.”
