Transforming Youth Mental Health: Insights from Cross-Country Learning Strategies

In response to the rising need for better mental health services for children and young people, the World Health Organization (WHO) has teamed up with various governments to launch a new initiative. This project aims to improve community-based mental health systems, particularly in schools. Historically, mental health for young people has often been overlooked. Many countries face a shortage of trained providers and limited funding—most resources go toward adult services. Without proper data, it’s tough to grasp the full scope of the challenges young people face.

This initiative builds on the WHO–UNICEF guidelines for mental health services for children and youth. These guidelines help countries tailor their approaches, ensuring access to quality care. The goal is to create networks that connect health services with education and community support.

The knowledge exchange program invites stakeholders from health ministries, government agencies, and WHO to identify gaps and opportunities in mental health. A key focus is on engaging young people in these discussions. Recent data from the WHO Atlas (2024) highlights a worrying trend: less than half of national governments involve young people in planning mental health services. This marks a decline since 2020, showing that youth participation is still a big challenge.

To better understand mental health systems, WHO is rolling out a tool called the Child and Adolescent National Systems Assessment Tool. This tool helps map out existing services and identify data gaps in health, education, and social services. By engaging young people and their caregivers, it aims to shed light on caregiving pathways and obstacles they face.

The expected outcomes of this project include a comprehensive overview of mental health systems for children. This data will guide discussions and help governments allocate resources more effectively. In many places, this is the first time they are collecting such baseline data, which is crucial for reform.

The project is supported by the Public Health Agency of Canada, Botnar Foundation, and Iconiq. Initial efforts are taking place in Angola, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Lesotho, Senegal, and Mozambique, with plans to expand to more countries.

Overall, this initiative represents a significant step forward in understanding and improving mental health services for children and young people worldwide. For anyone interested in learning more about mental health systems, the WHO provides valuable resources and updates on this evolving landscape.



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