By 2050, over half of Africa’s population will be under 25. While African cities offer the potential for jobs and innovation, they also face a growing crisis: the mental wellbeing of their young people.
Drawing on ACRC’s youth and capability development research – conducted in Addis Ababa, Freetown, Kampala, Maiduguri and Mogadishu – this blog examines the interconnected factors driving a mental health crisis among urban youth in Africa and proposes ways to start addressing the problems.
Why is there a mental health problem in African cities?
Young people across African cities are grappling with a perfect storm of challenges that threaten their mental wellbeing, including:
- Economic hardship – Despite obtaining education and skills training, young people are often unable to find decent work, resulting in mass unemployment and underemployment. For example, in Mogadishu, the overall unemployment rate for those aged 14 to 29 is a staggering 67%, with young women facing an even higher rate of 74%. As a result, many young people struggle to meet their basic needs and, as a result, experience chronic stress and anxiety. Economic hardship gives rise to social stigmatisation and makes it difficult for young people to meet social markers of work, marriage and citizenship.
- Conflict and insecurity – The shadow of conflict looms large in some African contexts, particularly in cities like Maiduguri and Mogadishu, where the ongoing insurgencies have resulted in widespread trauma, displacement and social fragmentation. Exposure to violence and loss leaves deep psychological scars, leading to conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety and depression.
- Inadequate support systems – Mental health support services are often scarce, underfunded and stigmatised, leaving young people with limited options for seeking help. Compounding this issue is the pervasive stigma surrounding mental illness, both within communities and among policymakers. This stigma prevents young people from speaking openly about their struggles and seeking the help they need.
Key research findings
ACRC’s youth and capability development domain research paints a stark picture of the mental health challenges faced by young people in African cities.
A worrying trend highlighted in the research is the rising use by young people of alcohol and other substances, as a way to self-medicate and cope with their difficult circumstances. In Maiduguri, for instance, many young people use drugs like Tramadol, often to numb the pain of traumatic experiences.
Young women are disproportionately affected by mental health challenges, due to the intersection of economic hardship, social norms and gender-based violence. They face greater barriers in accessing education, employment and even healthcare – further marginalising them and increasing their vulnerability. In Freetown, for example, young women involved in sex work lack legal protection and face a heightened risk of trafficking and exploitation. These circumstances increase their risk of experiencing mental health issues.
The research also underscores the failure of education systems to adequately prepare young people for the workforce. Often, the curriculum is outdated and irrelevant to the needs of the labour market, so that graduates are ill-equipped to secure decent jobs. This lack of opportunity can contribute to feelings of inadequacy and hopelessness, further impacting mental wellbeing.
Ways to address mental health issues in African cities
There are a range of direct and indirect approaches that can address the mental health risks among young people in African cities. These include:
1. Investing in integrated and multisectoral approaches
Recognising the interconnected nature of the challenges, policymakers need to move beyond siloed interventions and adopt a holistic approach that addresses the social, economic and political determinants of mental health. This involves collaborating across sectors such as health, education, employment and social welfare to create comprehensive programmes that support young people’s overall wellbeing. Successful examples from OECD countries – such as the ICan Work programme in Wales, which integrates skills training with mental health support – could offer valuable lessons.
2. Prioritising meaningful youth participation
The research emphasises the need to go beyond tokenistic gestures and create genuine opportunities for young people to participate in civic decisionmaking processes that affect their lives. This involves empowering youth-led organisations, providing platforms for their voices to be heard and ensuring that their perspectives are integrated into policy design and implementation.
3. Tackling stigma and promoting mental health awareness
A crucial step in addressing the mental health crisis is dismantling the stigma associated with mental illness. This requires public awareness campaigns that challenge misconceptions, promote open conversations about mental health and encourage young people to seek help. It also involves training healthcare professionals to provide culturally sensitive and appropriate care for young people struggling with mental health issues.
4. Promoting decent work and economic opportunities
Policymakers need to prioritise job creation initiatives that target young people, focusing on sectors with growth potential and providing skills training that aligns with market demands. Supporting youth entrepreneurship and improving access to finance can also empower young people to create their own opportunities and contribute to economic growth.
5. Addressing the root causes of conflict and insecurity
Lasting peace and stability are essential for fostering mental wellbeing among young people. This requires addressing the underlying causes of conflict, investing in conflict resolution mechanisms, and providing psychosocial support for those affected by violence and displacement.
The mental health of young people in African cities is a critical issue that demands urgent attention. By acknowledging the scale and complexity of the problem, investing in integrated solutions and empowering young people to be agents of change, governments and policymakers can enable a brighter future for Africa’s next generation.
> Read more about ACRC’s youth and capability development research
Header photo credit: znm / iStock. A young woman walking through an informal settlement in Kampala, Uganda.
Generative AI was used to help draft this blog post:
We uploaded the full youth and capability development domain report to Google NotebookLM and asked it to summarise the key mental health findings and their implications for development practice. The draft post was then edited by the ACRC communications team, before being approved by one of the lead authors of the report.
The African Cities blog is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), which means you are welcome to repost this content as long as you provide full credit and a link to this original post.
