Dissatisfaction, anxiety, depression are more and more common among young people. Such feelings are influenced by the expectations imposed by society, the family, even the young people themselves, as well as social networks. Young people are expected to fulfill a number of unwritten "requirements" before they turn thirty, to graduate on time, find a job, become independent, and find a partner.
It is often said that 'twenties are the most beautiful age', while various studies show the opposite. Research by the Youth Umbrella Organization shows that more than a third of respondents between the ages of 15 and 29 have anxiety, and half have symptoms of moderate or severe depression.
Psychologist Ana Mirković, who participated in this project, indicates that practically 50 percent of young people said that they have some psychological problem.
"Young people first deny the problem. It takes some time for them to recognize him. This means that this feeling of helplessness continues," she says, adding that no adequate response has been given to these problems.
The twenties are the age of 'mistakes'
YouTuber Milica Đorđević is a 20-year-old who talks on social networks about the various situations that a young person faces, as well as the importance of mental hygiene. As he says, we are currently in an age where more and more young people identify with any content on social networks that talks about mental hygiene and mental health.
"I see a positive reaction, but perhaps not so concrete action, because for many young people it is still a more serious step. Maybe they are not used to talking so much about their own feelings," Djordjevic said.
He also says that the current problem is that young people are lost, especially at this time when so much information is available to us. Because of this, young people do not know which direction to go, which makes the path more thorny compared to how strong the expectations are.
According to her, the problem is that many young people don't realize that their twenties are the age of making mistakes, of trying different things.
Parents - the key support
When it comes to the importance of parental support, a psychologist in the department for adolescence at KBC "Dragiša Mišović" Vladimir Borovnica points out that no matter how many adolescents, whose focus is then on the peer group, it seems that parents are of little importance, this is not true.
"Parental support is irreplaceable." The function of parents is first and foremost to be a safe base where young people can gather enough emotional security so that they can continue to master the external reality and improve life skills," explains Borovnica.
He adds that the most important thing is for parents to be dedicated to their children, and that means spending time and talking with young people, which does not mean lecturing them, but above all listening.
Insufficient system support
Young people often state that even when they are aware that there is a problem, they do not have the money to go to a psychologist or psychotherapist and ask for help. The price of one psychotherapy is usually between 2.000 and 4.000 dinars.
Mirković says that the student polyclinic would have to have a much larger number of psychotherapists and that, looking at this situation, mental health practically belongs to the lowest place on the list of priorities.
In addition to the fact that it is important to raise awareness in society about the importance of mental health among young people, because most problems begin at that age, as well as the fact that this is the period when the most help can be provided, Vladimir Borovnica says that as important as this is, it is not the only problem .
"Our country has no institutions that can respond to this problem. That's why I think the second priority is to strengthen institutions that can respond to the needs of protecting the mental health of children and young people."
Mirković points out that young people should be told not to succumb to the stereotype that their thirties are the period when success is measured.
"Individual development takes forever." I know many people who have made some fantastic stories in their fifties. I think age is just a concept. I know some old eighteen-year-olds and some young eighty-year-olds. It's all a matter of life attitude. So let's get the best out of the twenties, and life is a struggle until the age of one hundred," says Mirković
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