Why it matters
Needs Statement
Suicide poses a significant threat to adolescents and young adults, with mental illness playing a central role. The majority of lifetime mental disorders emerge during adolescence, highlighting the importance of early intervention. In Tanzania, where youth constitute 63% of the population, mental health challenges are likely to increase over time. Unfortunately, the country faces a shortage of mental health professionals, with only one specialized child and adolescent psychiatrist. Globally, low- and middle-income countries bear the brunt of suicides, impacting families, work, and society at large.
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Low- and middle-income countries face some of the most significant disparities in access mental health care. Left-untreated, depression can lead to co-morbid mental disorders (eg. alcohol and substance abuse), higher rates of suicide, and recurrent episodes. At least 90% of people who have died by suicide have suffered from mental disorders (NIH, 2018).
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Suicide is the second leading cause of death among adolescents and young adults (10-14 and 25-34); and third among youth (15-24) (CDC, 2022).
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There is lack of inclusion and engagement of the elderly population due to social arrangements that are unsuited for addressing the aging population’s concerns (UDSM, 2022).
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People with mental, neurological, and substance use disorders suffer stigma, discrimination, and systemic denial of their basic human rights (NIH, 2020).
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The mental health treatment gap affects’ the country’s economic development through lost productivity, low participation in labor and increased expenditure on health and social welfare. Mental and substance use conditions interfere, in substantial ways, with the ability of children to learn and the ability of adults to function in families, at work, and in society at large. It is estimated that untreated mental, neurological and substance use conditions account for more than 10 billion days of lost work annually – the equivalent of US$1 trillion per year (WHO, 2018).
Value Statement
TEWWY (The Elderly Women for Well-being and Youth) focuses on evidence-based psychosocial interventions delivered by trained elderly women. These interventions are integrated into stakeholders’ services through public and private partnerships. The approach targets priority mental and substance use conditions prevalent in low- and middle-income countries. These conditions were identified based on their high burden (in terms of mortality, morbidity, and disability), economic costs, and human rights implications. The priority conditions include depression, anxiety, self-harm/suicide, substance use disorders, and mental and behavioral issues in children and adolescents.