While Mental Health Month is held in October every year, mental health is an ongoing issue, as is raising public awareness around these concerns. It's important to break down taboos and better enable people to access support as early as possible.
Adolescence and young adulthood are critical times for the development of mental health problems. Research has found that half of all lifetime mental health disorders emerge by age 14 and three-quarters by age 24, and can lead to impaired academic achievement, unemployment, poor social functioning and substance abuse.