Placing youth and mental health in the spotlight

Under the slogan “Mental Health Matters”, International Youth Day (IYD) on 12 August will be celebrated this year with a focus on youth and mental health. In the lead-up to the day, people from across the globe are encouraged to help raise awareness on this topic by joining efforts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest using #MentalHealthMatters and #UN4Youth.

The online audience is invited to submit artwork, illustrations, videos, photos and/or stories about the positive impact that speaking out about mental health issues has had on their life or the life of a young person they may know. People are also encouraged to spread the word about the campaign and International Youth Day, and to also organize events of their own to celebrate. For this purpose, a toolkit has been developed to serve as a source of inspiration for possible actions and events.

By joining the campaign, people will actively be helping in spreading the word about the importance of reducing stigma surrounding youth and mental health conditions. Selected written, photo, video and artwork entries will also be chosen to be included in UN DESA’s publication ‘Social Inclusion of Youth with Mental Health Conditions,’ which will be launched on the International Youth Day, in the poster design, as well as showcased as part of the IYD event on 12 August at UN Headquarters.

This event will bring together young people, experts, the UN and Members States to discuss and raise awareness on the issue of youth and mental health conditions. A panel discussion, along with performances by young artists, will explore this issue in a variety of interactive and informative ways.

For more information, please click here.