Portuguese โactress Bรกrbara Norton de Matos publicly expressed concern for her daughter’s mental wellbeing in a recent interview, revealing anxieties about the โคpressures facing young people today. The disclosure,made on November 1,2024,has sparked a widerโฃ conversation about adolescentโค mental health in Portugalโข and โthe challenges parents face in supporting theirโ children’s emotional needs.
Nortonโ de Matos, known for her โฃroles in Portuguese โฃtelevision and film, shared her worries during an appearance on a program broadcast by Correioโ da Manhรฃ.She indicated growing apprehension regarding the impactโ of social media and academic expectationsโข on her daughter’s โขpsychological โstate. While she did not detail specific diagnoses or incidents, the actress โemphasized the importanceโฃ of openโค interaction and seeking professional help when necessary.
The actress’s comments come amid rising rates of โreported anxiety and depression among adolescents in Portugal, mirroring โคa global โขtrend. According to data released by the โPortuguese Directorate-General for โคhealth โin October 2024, casesโค of mental health concerns among individuals aged 10-19 have increased by 15% since 2020. Experts attribute this rise to โa combination โof factors,including increased academicโข pressure,cyberbullying,and the pervasive influence of social media.
Norton de Matos’s willingness to discuss her personal concerns is expected toโฃ encourage โother parents to address similar issues within their own families and to destigmatize conversations surrounding mental health. โShe urged parents to be attentive โคto changes in their children’s behaviour and โขto prioritize their emotional wellbeing alongside academic achievement.Correio daโ Manhรฃ‘s online platform will automaticallyโ archive โฃreader commentsโ on the article after one week.