World Mental Health Day: UNICEF shares essential mental health resources for children, parents and professionals
- English
- Română
BUCHAREST, 9 October 2026. Ahead of the World Mental Health Day on Saturday, UNICEF is highlighting a range of evidence-based resources developed with partners to support children, adolescents, parents, caregivers and professionals working with children.
Mental health is a child right and an essential part of every child's healthy development, learning and social participation. However, many children and adolescents continue to face anxiety, depression, stress, social isolation and other mental health challenges. UNICEF works alongside national and local partners to strengthen prevention, early intervention and access to quality psychosocial support.
“On World Mental Health Day, UNICEF encourages adolescents, parents, caregivers and professionals to make use of the mental health resources available through UNICEF and our partners. Mental health is fundamental to every child's well-being, development and future. Access to reliable information and timely support can make a real difference in a young person's life. By working together, we can ensure that every child grows up in a supportive environment where they feel safe, listened to and empowered to reach their full potential”, said Anna Riatti, UNICEF Representative in Romania.
To help children and the adults around them, UNICEF has developed and promoted a range of practical resources, research and guidance materials.
These include:
- On My Mind, a podcast about youth mental health, created with young people and based on UNICEF-led research, fully adapted in Romania, by Romanian children and professionals. The eight episodes aim to improve knowledge, attitudes, practices and behaviours among young people specifically related to their mental health.
- Mental Health Tips from Specialists, Featuring UNICEF National Ambassador Smiley
- Adventures for adolescents' mental health and emotional balance, a set of practical activities to develop psycho-emotional balance.
- How to talk to your child about mental health, a set of easy-to-understand explanations about emotional health, organised by age group: 0–5, 6–10, 11–13 and 14–18 years.
- Information and psychoeducation guide for parents and caregivers to support the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents.
- Free online workshops for parents. A set of eight recorded sessions, led by established psychotherapists, provide a structured framework for gaining a deeper understanding of the parent–teenager relationship.
- How play strengthens your child’s mental health. – an article that shows how playful moments are essential for children’s emotional well-being.
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health in Romania Snapshot report
- Investing in the mental health of children and adolescents in Romania
- Analysis of public policy documents on the psycho-emotional and mental health of children and adolescents in Romania
- Map of mental health and psychosocial support services for adolescents in Bucharest
- Comprehensive analysis of the well-being and mental health of lower-secondary school students in Romania
More information and resources are available on UNICEF Romania's website: https://uni.cf/3VG03Xg
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About UNICEF
UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere.
For more information about UNICEF and its work for children, visit www.unicef.org.
