UNICEF Cambodia launches “I Feel Better When…”, a new campaign co-created with young people to address the growing mental health crisis

Phnom Penh, 15 June​ 2022 - UNICEF Cambodia today launched a new campaign called “I Feel Better When…” to raise awareness around mental health. The campaign is funded by USAID Cambodia and was developed in collaboration with TPO Cambodia and the Child Helpline.

The campaign is informed by research showing that the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated an already profound mental health crisis facing young people across the world, including in Cambodia. UNICEF’s State of the World report in 2021 found that more than 1 in 7 adolescents globally lives with a diagnosed mental disorder.

In Cambodia, UNICEF and partners’ Socio-Economic Impact Study found that 45% of surveyed adolescents worried about their safety during the pandemic, and 16% felt more anxious or depressed since the crisis began. In addition, a Joint Education Needs Assessment conducted by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, the Education Sector Working Group, and UNICEF found that 58% of secondary school students reported experiencing at least one mental health issue. The Joining Forces Alliance, a coalition of the six largest child rights international non-government organisations, confirmed the extent of the crisis this month and called for nationwide action.

As a result of such findings, UNICEF has made mental health one of its key global priorities as the world recovers from the pandemic.

“There was already a child mental health crisis, but the pandemic has certainly made the situation worse,” said Anirban Chatterjee, Programme Deputy Representative at UNICEF Cambodia. “Schools closed, restrictions prevented positive social interactions, and families faced enormous socio-economic challenges, all of which negatively affected the mental health of children and young people. UNICEF is working to put this issue at the forefront of the COVID-19 recovery agenda. Improving mental health is going to require action at all levels of government and society, including young people. This campaign is designed to help them overcome stigma and give them much needed tools to prioritise their wellbeing.”

Young people are the driving force behind the campaign. UNICEF consulted with children and young people focus groups from urban and rural Cambodia to explore their understanding and experiences with mental health. The creative team at Phare Creative Studio then developed campaign concepts based on young people’s insights, which were tested and further developed with them.

The focus groups demonstrated that young Cambodians had a strong grasp of what poor mental health was and ways it could be improved. They believed that poverty or the absence of parents were leading causes of poor mental health, and that talking to friends was a good way of tackling stress. However, the majority said they would fear taking this latter step because of stigma and potential discrimination. They embraced the “I Feel Better When…” concept because, as one participant said, “if you don’t want to speak it’s okay, you can find another solution to your stress by doing positive activities.”

“I Feel Better when…” launched with a video showing young Cambodians using positive coping mechanisms such as sport, friendship and creative pursuits to improve their mental health, and will be followed by three months of sustained online activity raising awareness and providing tips and guidance to young people.

UNICEF Cambodia invites partners, schools and all organisations in Cambodia which are concerned with young people’s mental health to use the content and assets it is producing for this campaign. They will all be available through the UNICEF Cambodia social media channels.