Mapping Youth Mental Health Landscapes

The Being Initiative —a partnership that includes IAMHRF members and partners including Fondation Botnar, GCC, UNITED, and Orygen —  published a new Public Good Report, Mapping Youth Mental Health Landscapes: Local Insights from 13 Countries that builds on a year-long research study on the drivers of youth mental health across 12 countries (Colombia, Ecuador, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Morocco, Pakistan, Romania, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, and Vietnam) and based on consultations with over 3,000 stakeholders. Nearly 40% of respondents were youth, and the study also included inputs from government officials, health professionals, researchers, academics, representatives of non-governmental organisations, and individuals with lived experience.

The report emphasised that improving youth mental health requires multi-stakeholder collaboration, investment in youth-led solutions, and the creation of enabling environments for wellbeing. By highlighting the unique drivers of youth mental health as perceived by local communities and young people themselves, the report underscored the importance of tailoring solutions to country-specific contexts.

This milestone marks a shift from research to action for the Being Initiative, centring on the voices of young people to better identify needs, barriers, and effective solutions. The insights gained have informed investment priorities and programming strategies, leading to the launch of Being’s first Request for Proposals (RFP) in April 2024. These projects invite youth-led organisations and innovators to tackle the challenges and priorities identified in the landscape analysis.

Through Proof-of-Concept, Transition-to-Scale, and Ecosystem Catalyst grants, Being aims to advance solutions that address the root causes of youth mental health challenges while fostering an ecosystem where mental health initiatives—and young people—can thrive. The initiative also emphasises capacity-building and mentorship, supporting youth innovators in creating scalable and impactful programs.

This coordinated, evidence-informed approach positions Being, its partners, and youth innovators as catalysts for sustainable change within national and global mental health ecosystems.

This is one of our Members’ success stories from 2024. Learn more about the campaign and other members’ achievements here.