Empowering children and young people to thrive
UNICEF think piece on mental health and psychological wellbeing
Highlights
Diagnosable mental health conditions affect around one in seven children and adolescents aged 10 to 19 years.
Mental health conditions are responsible for more than 10 per cent of the global burden of disease, and depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide.
With more than 473 million children—that’s around one in six globally—either living in conflict zones or forcibly displaced due to conflict and violence, the mental health and well-being of children, adolescents, and young people are more negatively impacted than ever before. Children and adolescents exposed to poverty, violence and neglect, disease or humanitarian crises are at the highest risk of experiencing poor mental health.
In complex, protracted, and chronically underfunded emergencies, the need to ensure that children, adolescents, and caregivers have access to quality mental health and psychosocial support is even more urgent.
UNICEF and partners are working to spark global action to help young people thrive, empowering governments, children, youth, their caregivers and communities with the training, tools and support they need to experience good mental health and psychosocial well-being.
