A recent study by academics from Stellenbosch University and Erasmus University in Rotterdam has revealed a significant decline in the mental health of adolescents in South Africa as they age out of the Child Support Grant (CSG). The research, which tracked nearly 8,000 adolescents and utilized the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), found that the cessation of the CSG is linked to increased depressive symptoms, with a documented average increase of 1.73 points on the CES-D score. This finding is particularly relevant as countries re-evaluate social security amid fiscal concerns, and highlights the potential for abrupt exits from cash transfer programs to undermine previous gains, especially given South Africa's high levels of poverty, inequality, and youth unemployment. The study underscores the critical need to understand the long-term impacts of withdrawing financial support during adolescence, a period where adversity can have enduring consequences on human capital and future adult functioning.