FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEW YORK, 23 September 2026 — More than 2.6 billion young people between 15 and 35 are coming of age amid profound uncertainty, facing intersecting pressures from economic insecurity, climate change, armed conflict, inequality and a rapidly evolving digital environment. A new report from the United Nations Youth Office and United Nations University International Institute for Global Health calls for a fundamental shift in how youth mental health and well-being are understood and addressed — from a primary focus on individual diagnosis and treatment towards the social, economic and environmental conditions that shape young people’s lives.
Youth Mental Health & Well-Being in an Uncertain World: A Global Call to Action, launched today during United Nations High-Level Week, argues that promoting youth mental health requires strengthening the interconnected systems in which young people grow, learn, work and connect.
The report is being unveiled at an event co-organized by the United Nations Youth Office and UNU-Global Health and sponsored by NYU Silver School of Social Work, bringing together global leaders, researchers, practitioners and young people to discuss how the report’s vision can be translated into action. His Royal Highness the Grand Duke of Luxembourg is delivering high-level remarks at the launch, which also features expert and youth-led panel discussions bringing together leaders and practitioners from the United Nations, academia, civil society and international organizations, alongside youth mental health advocates from diverse contexts.
Mental health challenges are a growing global concern, affecting nearly one in eight people worldwide. Young people carry a disproportionate burden: one in seven adolescents aged 10–19 lives with a mental health condition, while most mental health disorders emerge by age 24. Suicide remains one of the leading causes of death among young people globally. The burden is particularly acute in low- and middle-income countries and in conflict-affected and other challenging contexts, where access to mental health support is often limited.
“Reimagining youth mental health means reimagining the systems and environments in which young people grow, learn, work and connect. Young people must be at the centre — not only because they are directly affected, but because their lived experience, ideas and leadership are essential to shaping solutions that reflect the realities of their lives. This report calls for a more holistic approach that puts young people’s well-being at the heart of how we build healthier, more inclusive and more sustainable societies,” said Felipe Paullier, Head of the United Nations Youth Office and Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs.
The report proposes a Youth Mental Health & Well-being Ecosystem Model that brings together key areas of young people’s lives as interconnected entry points for action. These include governance, education, decent work and secure housing, as well as peace and security, intergenerational relationships, digital spaces, climate, community life, sports, arts, culture and spirituality.
Rather than presenting a one-size-fits-all framework, the model is designed to be flexible and adaptable to different cultural, social and economic contexts. It highlights areas that are often overlooked in discussions of youth mental health and offers governments and institutions a practical basis for mapping, coordinating and strengthening existing and new initiatives across sectors.
“Youth mental health cannot be addressed through health services alone. If we are serious about prevention, we must invest in the conditions that shape young people’s lives — from education and decent work to housing, climate, digital environments and peace. This report provides a practical framework for governments to move beyond fragmented responses and put youth mental health at the heart of policy across sectors,” said Revati Phalkey, Director of the United Nations University International Institute for Global Health.
The report calls on national and local governments, the UN system, civil society, educational institutions, the private sector and other stakeholders to work across sectors to promote and protect youth mental health and well-being. It highlights youth-led initiatives as important sources of context-relevant approaches and encourages governments to use the ecosystem model to identify gaps, coordinate action and invest in the social, economic and environmental conditions that enable young people to thrive.
"Too often, we focus on the symptoms or family dynamics of young people in crisis and fail to see the broader context of their situations. We fail to ask if they also face challenges relating to safety, housing, food, or obstacles that create stress in their lives," said Dr. Michael A. Lindsey, Dean of the NYU Silver School of Social Work and an Academic Committee reviewer of the report. "The ecosystem model takes into account the numerous forces that shape the lives of young people and impact their mental well-being. This holistic approach charts a better path to healing."
There can be no sustainable progress without the well-being of 2.6 billion young people. By investing in the ecosystems surrounding young people and ensuring their meaningful participation in shaping them, societies can help create the conditions for every young person not only to survive, but to thrive with dignity, connection and hope.
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About the United Nations Youth Office
As the first dedicated entity for youth affairs within the United Nations Secretariat, the UN Youth Office champions the rights, perspectives, contributions and potential of young people everywhere. We lead efforts to enhance collaboration, coordination and accountability on youth affairs, ensuring that the United Nations works effectively and inclusively with young people in all their diversity. By fostering meaningful, inclusive, and impactful participation of youth in decision-making processes, our work focuses on empowering young people as agents of transformative change in addressing global challenges in the areas of sustainable development, peace and security, human rights and humanitarian action.
About United Nations University Global Health
UNU Global Health serves as the UN’s think tank on global health. The institute works to advance equitable, just and effective policies and practices by interrogating power and gender asymmetries in global health governance and accountability, health systems and workforces, digital health governance and security, climate health emergencies, and just transitions. Through collaborative policy research and training, UNU Global Health generates knowledge and strengthens capacities for decision-making by Member States, UN and other multilateral agencies and civil society groups for sustainable development of global health and well-being.
About NYU Silver School of Social Work
Founded in 1960 and renowned for a strong tradition of excellence in direct social work practice and dedication to social justice, NYU Silver has provided rigorous training to more than 20,000 social work practitioners and leaders in every area of the field, making it the leading destination for students who want to become innovative practitioners at the micro, mezzo and macro levels of social work practice. The School has campuses in the heart of New York City, Rockland County and Shanghai.
Media contacts
UN Youth Office
Nina Brandt, Chief of Partnerships, Advocacy and Communications
UNU Global Health
Alejandro Iturrizaga, Communications Manager
NYU Silver
Sheryl Huggins Salomon, Director of Strategic Communications