Youth voices commanded center stage during the inaugural Global Summit on Youth Mental Health organized by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Global Center for Child and Adolescent Mental Health at the Child Mind Institute and supported by the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Initiative in Greece. The event coincided with the 80th UN General Assembly (UNGA) High-level Week, and concluded with powerful calls to action, and commitments to advance global child and adolescent mental health through strengthened collaboration. A post-event report led by youth from Greece, Brazil and South Africa, is expected to lay out a framework with actionable next steps and recommendations for meaningful partnerships, and will be shared with attendees.

During the event, a Single Session Intervention (SSI) competition was introduced for young people in Brazil to develop brief, interactive activities to support healthier tech habits. The competition is a collaborative endeavor with Instituto Felipe Neto (IFN), which addresses youth mental health and digital safety.

The event was held at the Child Mind Institute headquarters in New York City on September 22, 2025, with attendees and panelists including global youth leaders, the Clinton Foundation, UNICEF, Wellcome Trust, the World Health Organization, United for Global Mental Health, McKinsey Health Institute, and Grand Challenges Canada.

Under the theme “The Digital Dilemma: Bridging Science and Storytelling for Youth Mental Health,” the summit took place during a landmark shift in global mental health priorities. For the first time, mental health and well-being will be formally integrated within the global agenda on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) during the fourth High-level Meeting of the UNGA. UN Member States are adopting a political declaration that outlines a new vision for the prevention and control of NCDs, and promotion of mental health and well-being.

During the summit, inspiring young changemakers actively involved in youth-led mental health initiatives in their communities and supported by the Youth Engagement Scheme (YES), a programmatic component of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Initiative in Greece, which began in 2022, and the SNF Global Center led with thought-provoking speeches and calls to action in the first panel, “Grassroots Youth Leadership in Mental Health: Stories from Brazil, South Africa, and Greece.”

Discussions also explored topics such as “How Can We Reimagine Digital Connectivity for Positive” and “Empowering Youth Participation and Youth-Led Organizations in the Mental Health Space.”