What is International Youth Day?
Every year on August 12, the world marks International Youth Day, bringing attention to the experiences of young people around the world and the role they play in shaping the future.
Young people may face different realities depending on where they live, but many of the challenges affecting them are shared. Access to quality education and decent work, unequal access to technology, climate change, social exclusion, and mental well-being are all part of the wider conversation about young people's lives today.
Mental well-being is particularly important in that conversation. There is already a lot of focus on what young people can achieve. They are often described as the leaders of tomorrow who will help tackle some of the world's biggest challenges. There is also growing pressure to be successful and innovative in a world that is becoming increasingly driven by technology.
Technology has created opportunities that previous generations did not have in quite the same way. Young people can learn new skills and create things with an audience far beyond their immediate surroundings. At the same time, there is more to keep up with and more opportunities to compare personal progress with everyone else's.
All of this can have an impact on how young people experience their everyday lives.
The focus on their potential can sometimes make it easy to overlook the person behind that potential. A young person can be ambitious and still feel overwhelmed. They can have friends, followers, and people around them and still experience loneliness.
If we want to have meaningful conversations about young people and the role they will play in society, their mental well-being has to be part of that conversation too.
Understanding Young People's Mental Health
Adolescence and young adulthood involve significant changes that can affect emotional wellbeing. It is a time when young people are figuring out who they are and learning how to handle different responsibilities.
Young people can experience common mental-health struggles such as anxiety, prolonged stress, loneliness, depression and feeling overwhelmed. These experiences can affect how they handle everyday situations.
The signs are not always obvious. A young person may continue with their usual routine while struggling internally. They may become quieter, withdraw from friends, lose interest in things they usually enjoy or find it harder to concentrate. Others may constantly feel worried or stressed, struggle with sleep or find everyday responsibilities more difficult to manage.
Some young people may also avoid talking about what they are going through. They may worry about being judged, misunderstood or told that what they are feeling is not serious enough to need help. There is also still stigma around therapy and seeking professional support, which can make it harder to speak up.
Young people who find it difficult to talk about what they are experiencing may end up carrying these challenges on their own. International Youth Day gives us an opportunity to bring these experiences into the conversation and think about how we can better support young people's mental health.
How Can We Support Young People's Mental Health?
There are simple things we can do to make it easier for young people to talk about their mental health and get support when they need it.
1. Make talking about mental health normal.
Talk about mental health in everyday conversations, just like we talk about physical health. Create spaces where young people can share how they feel without being laughed at, dismissed or made to feel like something is wrong with them.
2. Check in, even when nothing seems wrong.
Regularly check in with young people and pay attention to how they are doing. Consistent support can make it easier for them to speak up when something is bothering them.
3. Listen before trying to fix things.
Listen to what a young person is saying and take their feelings seriously. Give them the space to express themselves before offering advice or solutions.
4. Take changes seriously.
Be sensitive to changes in behaviour, such as withdrawing, losing interest in things they enjoy or struggling to cope with everyday life. Act on these changes instead of brushing them off as a phase.
5. Make support easier to access.
Young people should know where they can go when they need help, whether that means speaking to someone they trust or getting professional support. Make information about available support easy to find and understand.
6. Give young people space to be honest.
Every young person is different. What works for one person may not work for another, and some may find it easier to talk while others may need more time or a different kind of support. Give them room to express how they feel without immediately turning it into advice, judgement or comparison.
Conclusion
Young people's mental health deserves attention just as much as their education, relationships, careers, and other parts of their lives. They should not have to wait until they are struggling to cope before their well-being becomes a concern.
This International Youth Day, while we celebrate young people and all they can achieve, let's also remember to check in on how they are doing.
Young people deserve to be supported beyond their achievements and what they can contribute. Their mental health deserves that same attention too.
