Rising Mental Health Crisis Among School Students in Sri Lanka

According to the Bureau's findings, a significant number of adolescents are at risk of suicide, with a concerning 15.4% of students having been strongly tempted to take their own lives in the past year. This highlights a growing mental health crisis among the youth.

Doctors are attributing part of this troubling trend to the decrease in parent-child interaction due to parents' excessive use of mobile phones and social media. As technology continues to shape modern life, the Bureau emphasizes the critical importance of close attention during the formative years of adolescence, which span from ages 10 to 19.

A comprehensive study known as the 'Global School Health Survey' conducted in 2024, which involved 2,585 students aged 13 to 17, sheds light on several alarming statistics. The survey, which was last conducted in 2016, found that a significant portion of adolescents are facing physical and mental health challenges.

According to the survey results, Doctor Chiranthika Withana says  21.4% of students were classified as underweight, while 12.1% were overweight and 3% were obese. Additionally, 4.3% of students often went hungry at breakfast due to a lack of food at home, suggesting a link between socioeconomic factors and health issues.

The mental health data is particularly concerning, with 22.4% of students reporting that they felt very lonely at least once in the past year, and 7.5% stating they have no close friends. Moreover, 18% of students were found to be suffering from depression, underscoring the severity of the emotional struggles many adolescents are enduring.

The most alarming statistic comes from the revelation that 9.6% of students had even planned how to commit suicide. This troubling data points to an urgent need for greater mental health support and intervention for school-aged children.

In addition to mental health concerns, the survey also found that 5.7% of students smoke, while 5.3% drink alcohol. Drug use is on the rise, with 3.2% of students admitting to using cannabis, a notable increase from 2.1% just a year earlier. The report also reveals that 63% of students are not getting enough sleep, with many sleeping less than 8 hours a night during school days—something doctors warn is detrimental to their overall health.

One of the most striking findings is that 28.4% of students spend more than three hours a day on mobile phones or social media for non-educational purposes. This excessive screen time is seen as a significant factor in the emotional and social struggles many students face.

The Health Promotion Bureau has urged parents and guardians to be highly vigilant of their children's behavior and to foster better communication, emphasizing that increased parent-child interaction can help mitigate some of the risks highlighted in the survey.

As the nation grapples with these unsettling revelations, it is clear that urgent action is needed to address the physical and mental well-being of school children, with a focus on improving social connections, reducing screen time, and providing better mental health resources.