One in five young people aged 11–25 years depressed, suffer from anxiety, new study shows

A new study has found that one in five individuals aged between 11 and 25 has experienced four or more Adverse Childhood Experiences.
What you need to know:
- Researchers discovered that 22.6 per cent of individuals in this age bracket are likely to experience suicidal ideation.
- The study, also pointed to socioeconomic and family-related vulnerabilities as drivers of childhood adversity.
Nearly 25 per cent of youth aged between 11 and 25 have moderate to severe symptoms of depression, while 21.4 per cent have anxiety, according to a new study.
The same study also found that one in five individuals in this age group has experienced four or more Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).
Researchers further discovered that 22.6 per cent of individuals in this age bracket are likely to experience suicidal ideation, especially those aged 15 years and above.
The findings come from a peer-reviewed study conducted by the Aga Khan Brain and Mind Institute in partnership with the Shamiri Institute.
The study also revealed that 5 per cent of people in this age group are more likely to suffer from depression, 8 per cent are likely to struggle with anxiety, 6 per cent may experience bullying—especially boys—and 22.6 per cent are likely to have suicidal thoughts, particularly among those aged 15 and above.
This, the researchers said, puts young people at high risk of mental health challenges such as depression, anxiety, and bullying.
The scientists warned that failure to urgently address ACEs could lead to increased drug and substance abuse due to trauma-induced dependency cycles, which they said fuel societal violence.
According to the researchers, the study, which was conducted in 42 secondary schools across the country with a sample size of 2,842 students aged between 11 and 25, also pointed to socioeconomic and family-related vulnerabilities as drivers of childhood adversity.
They found that adolescents with only one surviving parent had 18 per cent higher adversity scores, while those performing poorly in school were 15 per cent more likely to have experienced adversity.
They emphasised that childhood adversity has now become a public health crisis threatening the well-being and potential of Kenya's youthful population.
“Adverse Childhood Experiences include neglect, abuse, poverty, and violence and can have a lasting impact on how a person behaves, what they think, and how they feel,” said Prof Zul Merali, founding director of the Aga Khan Brain and Mind Institute, during the official launch of the study on Thursday. He stressed the urgent need for cross-sectoral interventions to address the root causes of mental distress.

“Childhood adversity is a public health crisis that threatens the well-being and potential of our entire generation. We aim to elevate research-informed solutions that can help Kenyan children not only survive adversity but thrive despite it. Our collective future depends on it,” he added.
Tom Osborn, founder and CEO of the Shamiri Institute, observed that bullying was strongly associated with high adversity scores, with boys appearing particularly vulnerable.
“Young people in Kenya are navigating enormous emotional burdens. As a society, we can’t afford to look away. This is about building bridges between research, policy, and practice so that our schools become places of healing, not harm,” he said.
Wangui Wanjuki, a youth advocate who spoke during the launch, shared her experiences.
Effects of unaddressed trauma
“Growing up, I experienced ACEs in the form of physical abuse, gender-based violence, financial abuse, parental alienation, and manipulation. It is important not to make policies in isolation. They are supposed to complement existing laws and frameworks, not just look good on paper,” she said.
With nearly 55 per cent of Kenya’s population under the age of 21, the researchers said more must be done — and quickly.
“Bring trauma-informed mental health programs to schools, develop tools that reflect the Kenyan context (including poverty and violence), and fund long-term research to understand and respond better,” they urged.
“This means millions of young people—poised to enter the workforce and national leadership—may be silently struggling with the effects of unaddressed trauma. But if we invest in mental health today, we can reduce emotional suffering by 30 per cent, improve learning, and save our country over Sh26 billion annually in long-term social costs.”
The researchers warned that if left untreated, ACEs can disrupt brain development—especially in areas responsible for emotional regulation and executive function—reduce learning outcomes, school attendance, and academic achievement, increase mental illness, substance use, and high-risk behaviours, undermine employability and workforce readiness, and perpetuate cycles of poverty and trauma across generations.
This, they reminded the government, results in a weakened human resource base and diminished brain capital—the cognitive, emotional, and social assets essential for innovation and national development.
To address this, the Ministry of Education was urged to immediately implement a trauma-informed schools programme, train teachers to recognise signs of trauma and respond appropriately, and teach social and emotional skills to students. The plan is to begin with 200 schools by 2026, at an estimated cost of Sh260 million per year.
The government was also urged to develop tools tailored to Kenyan realities, bring together health experts, educators, and communities, add five Kenya-specific ACE indicators (such as hunger and displacement), and test the improved tool in three counties by mid-2026. Strengthening anti-bullying programmes—especially for boys—was also recommended.