Z Zurich Foundation
A UNICEF partner since 2021
Z Zurich Foundation and UNICEF strive to promote mental well-being among young people worldwide
The partnership aims to benefit more than half a million adolescents and caregivers in seven countries and hopes to reach 30 million people worldwide through a communication campaign.
An estimated one in seven adolescents aged between 10 and 19 lives with a diagnosed mental disorder. While adolescence can be a period of heightened risk for developing mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression, it is also a critical time of life for establishing healthy behaviour patterns and social and emotional learning that can bring life-long benefits. To reduce the rising burden of mental disorders, efforts to promote mental well-being among all young people and their caregivers are critical. However, despite growing awareness about the negative effects and financial costs of mental health conditions on lives and communities, wide investment gaps persist, particularly for mental health promotion and prevention programmes.
Through the partnership, UNICEF and Z Zurich Foundation aim to equip 400,000 adolescents and 150,000 caregivers in seven countries with information, skills and strategies on how to care for their own and each other’s mental well-being, starting with programmes in Colombia, Ecuador, Indonesia, the Maldives, Mexico, Nepal and Viet Nam. Programme tools and approaches developed in these countries focus on delivering interventions that build mental health literacy, strengthen social and emotional learning and skills, and improve caregiver and adult support. A wide variety of stakeholders – including governments, local partners, and young people – are involved in developing and delivering these tools. Materials developed for the programmes include information on emotional regulation, stress management and problem solving, among other topics. Teaching methods include storytelling, peer learning and learning through role models, and leverage a variety of digital, school and community platforms for distribution.
#OnMyMind, a global campaign supported by the partnership was launched in early October 2021 in the run-up to World Mental Health Day. It aims to reach 30 million people and promote positive conversations and connections that increase awareness, knowledge and action on mental well-being.
Launched in 2022 with the support of the Z Zurich Foundation, the Global Coalition for Youth Mental Health was born out of the belief that the mental health of youth could not be addressed by one entity alone but through collective action. Today, the Coalition is an alliance of UNICEF partners including Jo Malone London, Spotify, Zurich Insurance Group and Z Zurich Foundation. Together, the Coalition seeks to address the increasing global burden of mental health conditions in youth through investment and action.
About Z Zurich Foundation
The Z Zurich Foundation works alongside Zurich Insurance Group employees, customers and business partners as well as with governments and NGOs in pursuit of a future where people can thrive in the face of increasing climate hazards, where those of us feeling the stresses of life are empowered to speak up, and where the marginalized in our society can reach their full potential. The Z Zurich Foundation is a Swiss-based charitable foundation established by members of the Zurich Insurance Group. It is the main vehicle by which Zurich Insurance Group delivers on its global community investment strategy. Visit the Z Zurich Foundation’s website to learn more about its work.
