Overview
- Psychologist Jimena Guevara says suicide is now one of the five leading causes of death among young people in Peru.
- She links more severe depression to the pandemic’s toll of over 200,000 deaths and a roughly 10% rise in poverty.
- Public services remain insufficient, with only about 200 Community Mental Health Centers nationwide and care often perceived as a privilege.
- Guevara urges universal public access to treatment and calls for at least one psychologist in every school.
- She outlines warning signs that warrant attention, including persistent sadness, appetite or sleep changes, aggressive play, violent drawings, or renewed bedwetting in children.