20 Years Without Help: The Mental Health Gap No One Talks About With Psychologist André Faro

Did you know people with anxiety wait an average of 20 years before getting their first appointment with a psychologist? For depression, it's 5 to 10 years. For phobias — sometimes a lifetime.Brazilian psychologist André Faro decided that wasn't acceptable.In this episode, André shares what five years of tracking Brazilian mental health data through the pandemic actually revealed — including a surprising return of peak anxiety levels in 2024 that his team is still trying to explain.He also breaks down the global project he's building from a single lab in one of Brazil's smallest states: low-cost, culturally adapted mental health tools being deployed in Brazil, Mozambique, Rwanda, Malawi, Jordan, and Gaza — designed to work on old smartphones with spotty internet.We also get into the AI mental health chatbot problem, what parents should actually know about teenagers and social media, and why this new generation's openness about their feelings might be the biggest opportunity in public health right now.Whether you're a mental health professional, a curious parent, or just someone who's ever Googled "why am I so anxious" — this conversation is for you.André is a Fulbright Scholar from Brazil at UC San Diego, a Professor at Federal University of Sergipe (UFS) and Global VP for Latin America at the World Federation for Mental Health.⁠Click here to learn more⁠ about André's work.🎙️ Host: Gabriele Jimenez | Fulbrighter Podcast — the platform connecting Fulbright alumni worldwide.🌐 fulbrighternetwork.comThe Fulbrighter Podcast spotlights researchers and scholars making an impact beyond borders. If you would like to become a Fulbrighter as well, head to the following link to learn more about the program and how to apply: ⁠⁠https://fulbrightprogram.org/apply/⁠⁠ Audio editing by Anike Lamoso.