Led by Orygen, The Lancet Psychiatry Commission on Youth Mental Health brought together 54 authors from five continents—including psychiatrists, psychologists, researchers, and young people—to present compelling evidence of the urgent need to enhance youth mental health and push for actionable solutions.
Despite young people’s growing advocacy and active participation in mental health, they are often left out of the process of designing and assessing interventions, especially in low- and middle-income countries.
Through Youth and Lived Experience advisors Hrushitaa Murali and Cecilia Ashaley Fofo, alongside partners from Grand Challenges Canada (Melani O’Leary and Sireesha Bobbili), the Science for Africa Foundation (Byron Bitanihirwe), and United for Global Mental Health (Sarah Kline, Aviwe Funani, and Antonis Kousoulis), The Being Initiative has co-authored a powerful Comment for The Lancet Psychiatry Commission on Youth Mental Health. This piece highlights the essential need for meaningful youth engagement.
Young people possess the insight needed to create sustainable solutions to address community mental health challenges. Addressing their needs is only achievable by prioritizing meaningful youth involvement from promotion and prevention to treatment and care.
That’s why Being believes those closest to the challenges are best equipped to identify their needs and impactful, lasting solutions. Young people are essential to our strategy. They are critical as advisors, facilitators, stakeholders, and validators in our country consultations, which guided our funding priorities.
