You often hear about how your support helps meet the physical needs of children through supplies like nutrition and water — but you’re also making a difference to impact their mental health.
This Mental Health Awareness Month, we’re shedding light on this critical aspect of children’s lives and development. The pandemic and intensifying global crises have shown how the outside world can have a profound impact on a child’s mental health and well-being. That’s why UNICEF is taking action to promote, protect and care for children’s mental health this month and every month. Here’s a closer look at this work: |
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Globally, millions of children are facing immediate and long-term distress due to the pandemic, conflict and other humanitarian emergencies. Here in the U.S., worsening mental health concerns have led the American Academy of Pediatrics to declare a National State of Emergency in Children's Mental Health. Around the world, crises, like the war in Ukraine, are upending children’s lives, disrupting essential services like education and limiting access to mental health support. |
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UNICEF’s mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) work is essential for improving the well-being of children. UNICEF teams work to strengthen the resilience of children and their families, help them cope during and after a crisis and adapt services to meet their needs. Through child-friendly communication and spaces, UNICEF creates environments that help children develop and understand their emotions. UNICEF also works to dismantle stigmas around mental health and advocate for more investment in supportive programs and communities. |
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An estimated 13 percent of the world’s adolescents live with a mental health condition and face daily challenges that impact their mental well-being. Yet, only a tiny fraction of government and international development spending is available to address mental health needs. This lack of investment, alongside harmful social stigmas, diminishes opportunities to address issues of mental health so that children can heal, grow and thrive. |
| You can act to ensure that every child has access to mental health support at home and around the world.
Add your name to call on Congress to pass bills that invest in the mental health needs of children in the U.S.
Ask your legislators to support the Mental Health in International Development and Humanitarian Settings (MINDS) Act which would integrate mental health services as a priority in U.S. foreign assistance. And stay tuned for more opportunities to understand and advocate for children’s mental health. |
