Jorina Kaminski, Swiss UN Youth Delegate, speaks on youth mental health during the World Youth Report launch, as Cevor Tikerpuu, Finnish UN Youth Delegate, listens before sharing his reflections. Photo: UN DESA / P. Vasic

In early February, UN DESA launched the World Youth Report on Youth Mental Health and Well-being, convening Member States, UN entities, civil society partners, and dozens of young people, including UN Youth Delegates, to examine the social factors shaping youth mental health and well-being.

The launch took place amid growing global concern over young people’s mental health, as youth face intersecting challenges such as poverty and inequality, barriers to education and decent work, digital harms, conflict, social exclusion, and climate-related stress.

In her keynote address, Bjørg Sandkjær, ASG for Policy Coordination of UN DESA, underscored that “addressing youth mental health requires confronting inequality itself through coordinated, equitable, and inclusive social policies that expand opportunity, reduce exclusion, and strengthen solidarity.” She emphasized that the Report’s findings should inform intergovernmental processes, including the Commission for Social Development, and support the implementation of the World Programme of Action for Youth, alongside broader efforts to realize the commitments included in the Doha Political Declaration adopted during the Second World Summit for Social Development. 

The World Youth Report adopts a youth-informed social determinants approach, examining how education, work, family dynamics, poverty, digital environments, societal attitudes, and climate change shape mental health outcomes. Presenting the findings, Masumi Ono, Chief of the Social Inclusion and Participation Branch of UN DESA, highlighted that inequalities in opportunities are closely linked to disparities in mental health and well-being; stigma and discrimination continue to limit access to care, education, and work; and preventive, community-based, and youth-responsive approaches are essential to closing mental health gaps.

A central feature of the Report – and the launch – was the emphasis on youth lived experiences. UN Youth Delegates Jorina Kaminski of Switzerland and Cevor Tikerpuu of Finland shared their insights.

“Being young means having options; It means having a whole life ahead of you. But today, being young also means not being sure whether the world will allow you to have a future in it. This growing uncertainty is what drives mental health problems experienced by so many young people today. Structural inequalities are the root causes of distress among youth, and prevention is key in addressing those structural problems like discrimination, poverty or unequal access to education," Jorina said during her presentation.

Cevor added that, “Growing up in poverty taught me that mental health reflects the conditions of our physical environment. The World Youth Report underlines this. Young people are faced with global crises such as climate change, wars and rising inequalities. Preventive, inclusive social policies are essential to addressing the root causes of why young people are losing hope, trust in societies and meaning in their life. An ideal world is not where every person is in therapy, but rather where the physical environment nurtures our mental well-being.”

Through video interventions, youth advocates Vanessa Dorcas, an anti-female genital mutilation (FGM) and anti-child marriage activist, and Brian Diang’a, an esports athlete and youth mental health advocate, shared reflections illustrating how youth are also key actors in shaping solutions when provided with safe spaces, resources, and meaningful participation opportunities.

The event also featured an overview of the global youth consultation process, including Expert Group Meetings, online surveys, focus groups, and individual interviews, presented by Katie Acheson, who worked with Gemma Wood, both from Numbers and People Synergy (NAPS). Through partnerships with youth-led and youth-serving organizations, including the Major Group on Children and Youth, the consultations gathered perspectives from thousands of young people across all regions, ensuring that the Report reflects lived realities and youth-informed policy priorities.