CSocD59 Side Event: Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing: The role of Digital Innovations

The issue of mental health and wellbeing has been gaining attention over the last few years, and even more since the beginning of the pandemic. However, even before the pandemic began, major gaps were present in mental health services delivery, both within and across countries. In addition, in countries where mental health services are available, their affordability, accessibility and inclusiveness of young people, particularly marginalized and vulnerable young people, are uneven. While improving youth mental health and wellbeing clearly requires a coordinated policy response from the entire ecosystem of partners, it also requires the use of varied delivery channels, including digital ones.

The next edition of the World Youth Report, to be published in early 2022, will focus on youth mental health and wellbeing. Social determinants of youth mental health and wellbeing include: the digital environment, education, decent work, families and relationships, poverty & deprivation, and community & society. While these six social determinants are clearly interlinked and have a compounding effect on youth mental health, the digital environment is emerging as an increasingly impactful social determinant.