Survey Reveals Mental Health Crisis Among Sri Lankan School children
The Ministry of Health has raised serious concerns over the growing mental stress faced by Sri Lankan schoolchildren, highlighting a concerning rise in depression, anxiety, and loneliness among students aged 13 to 17.
According to Acting Director of the Directorate of Mental Health, Dr. Lakmini Nayana Magodaratne, findings from a 2024 school health survey revealed alarming statistics:
- 22.4% of students reported feeling lonely
- 11.9% had trouble sleeping due to worry
- 18% showed signs of depression
- 7.5% said they had no close friends
- Only 25% of children said they had someone to talk to about their problems, indicating that 75% of students lacked a support system.
“I wonder how this could happen in Sri Lanka,” said Dr. Magodaratne, speaking at a press briefing organized by the Health Promotion Bureau. She added that children today face tremendous social and emotional pressure and stressed the importance of providing better mental health support.
Joining the briefing, Dr. Sajeewana Amarasinghe, Consultant Psychiatrist at the National Institute of Mental Health, shared insights on the broader mental health landscape in the country. He stated that around eight suicides occur daily in Sri Lanka, totaling approximately 3,500 deaths annually.
“In 1996, Sri Lanka ranked second globally for suicide rates at 47 per 100,000 people. Today, it’s down to 15 per 100,000, thanks to interventions by the Presidential Commission at the time,” Dr. Amarasinghe said.
He also noted that while suicide rates have stabilized in recent years, media reporting on these incidents has declined — a move he sees as a positive change to prevent the glorification or imitation of such acts.
Mental health professionals are now calling for urgent, widespread reforms in both school and community-level mental health services to address these growing concerns.
