Care Policy and Evaluation Centre, Department of Health Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK.
Alan J Flisher Centre for Public Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Lancet Psychiatry. 2021 Apr;8(4):340-346. doi: 10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30382-5. Epub 2021 Feb 4.
Social protection measures can play an important part in securing livelihoods and in mitigating short-term and long-term economic, social, and mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, cash transfer programmes are currently being adapted or expanded in various low-income and middle-income countries to support individuals and families during the pandemic. We argue that the current crisis offers an opportunity for these programmes to focus on susceptible young people (aged 15-24 years), including those with mental health conditions. Young people living in poverty and with mental health problems are at particular risk of experiencing adverse health, wellbeing, and employment outcomes with long-term consequences. They are also at risk of developing mental health conditions during this pandemic. To support this population, cash transfer programmes should not only address urgent needs around food security and survival but expand their focus to address longer-term mental health impacts of pandemics and economic crises. Such an approach could help support young people's future life chances and break the vicious cycle between mental illness and poverty that spirals many young people into both socioeconomic and mental health disadvantage.
社会保护措施可以在保障生计以及减轻 COVID-19 大流行对经济、社会和精神健康的短期和长期影响方面发挥重要作用。特别是，现金转移计划目前正在各种低收入和中等收入国家进行调整或扩大，以在大流行期间为个人和家庭提供支持。我们认为，当前的危机为这些计划提供了一个机会，使其能够关注易受影响的年轻人（15-24 岁），包括那些有精神健康问题的年轻人。生活贫困和有精神健康问题的年轻人特别容易出现不良的健康、福利和就业后果，这些后果会带来长期影响。他们也有在大流行期间出现精神健康问题的风险。为了支持这部分人群，现金转移计划不仅应解决粮食安全和生存方面的紧急需求，还应扩大其重点，以解决大流行和经济危机对精神健康的长期影响。这种方法可以帮助支持年轻人的未来生活机会，并打破精神疾病和贫困之间的恶性循环，使许多年轻人陷入社会经济和精神健康的双重劣势。
