Drug and substance abuse all result from some kind of pressure and this can lead to a nervous breakdown.

That is the stand of two youth organizations, the Young People's Concerned Network and the Partners in Community Development, who are both participating at the National Youth Summit next week.

According to the two organizations, the abuse of alcohol and drugs has resulted in the increase in people seeking mental health assistance from Fiji's only psychiatric hospital Saint Giles, with their last report showing that in the past 8 months over 3,000 youths from the Suva-Nausori corridor have sought mental help.

According to them, another stark reminder is the increase in reported cases of attempted suicide and suicide.

The Health Ministry revealed that from January to April of this year, there were 72 reported cases while in 2008 there were a total of 218 cases.

The National Youth Summit organized by the Fiji Council of Social Services and Vodafone ATH will discuss issues ranging from drug abuse to mental health and will be held in Nadave, Nausori, starting this Wednesday.