Mental Health and Addiction Top Concerns Among Playa del Carmen Youth, Survey Finds

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Mental health and addiction emerged as the leading concerns among young people in Playa del Carmen who took part in the city’s first youth survey, officials said.

The First Youth Survey 2026 collected responses between May 15 and August 13, with the window later extended by a few days before the results were analyzed.

José Gabriel Pérez Álvarez, director of the Municipal Youth Institute, said the random sample was originally designed to reach 800 people, but more than 1,000 ultimately participated.

With the results in hand, he said, the task now is to find ways to support young people through follow-up work.

Seven Areas of Focus

The survey covered seven thematic areas, including inclusion and diversity; environment and living conditions; the economy and services; health and well-being; and security and environmental problems.

According to the findings, mental health problems stem mainly from family difficulties such as parents separating.

Pérez Álvarez said the issues shift between middle school and high school students, with addiction standing out among older teenagers.

The results led officials to redirect some work plans for the remainder of the year, he said, and working groups have begun planning for 2027 with the survey data incorporated.