Ahead of World Mental Health Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF have published Mental Health of Children and Young People: Service Guidance to support the transformation of mental health services for children and adolescents.
An estimated 1 in 7 children and adolescents aged 10 to 19 are affected by mental health conditions, with anxiety, depression, and behavioural disorders among the most common. With one-third of mental health conditions emerging before the age of 14 and half before the age of 18, early action is essential to enable children and young people to thrive and realize their full potential.
Mental health services for children and young people largely inaccessible
Despite the clear need for action, access to mental health services for children and young people remains inadequate. The majority of young people experiencing mental health symptoms do not access care due to systemic barriers such as low service availability, unaffordable costs, and stigma preventing them from seeking help. Public funding and human resources for mental services in general is low worldwide: for mental health services aimed at children and young people it is practically non-existent, especially in low- and middle-income countries.
"We must take action to ensure that evidence-based and age-appropriate interventions are available and affordable for all. Every country, regardless of its circumstances, can do something to significantly improve the mental health of its children, young people, and their families" said Dévora Kestel, Director of Mental Health, Brain Health, and Substance Use, World Health Organization.
Establishing community-based mental health care
Supporting the mental health of children and young people must be a collective effort. The guidance outlines different models for quality mental health care services for children and young people, providing examples from around the world that show what can be achieved in different settings. It also provides a broad range of good practice examples for building mental health care and support networks in communities with the engagement of general practitioners, nurses, community mental health teams and other stakeholders in the health, education, social care, and juvenile justice systems.
The guidance also draws attention to the millions of children with mental health conditions worldwide who are institutionalized, despite having living families. This practice violates their human rights, as outlined by key international frameworks, and leads to poor health and social outcomes. The report calls for the phasing out of institutional care in favour of community-based services that allow children to grow in their families and communities, ensuring continuity in their education, social relationships, and overall development.
"Mental health and well-being of children, adolescents, and their families cannot be addressed in isolation. We must integrate health, education, social protection, and community support systems to build a comprehensive network of mental health services for young people. It is our collective responsibility to prioritize their mental health as part of overall child and adolescent well-being" said Fouzia Shafique, Associate Director of Health, UNICEF, NYHQ.
Roadmap for improving mental health care services for children and young people
Aimed at policymakers, health service planners, and mental health professionals, the guidance introduces important domains for standards of mental health care and offers a roadmap for restructuring existing services and developing new ones, with an emphasis on co-designing services, workforce development, strengthening collaborative care practices and improving informed decision-making and accountability in service delivery.
By taking these actions to address key barriers to accessing mental health care, countries can significantly improve mental health outcomes for children and young people.
