Thriving Together
The Z Zurich Foundation and UNICEF partnership sparking global action to promote young people's mental health and wellbeing
Photo credit: ©UNICEF VietNam \ Linh Pham
Promoting and prioritizing mental wellbeing for every young person
Positive mental well-being allows young people to build their futures and reach their full potential. It provides them with the capacity to think, feel and learn.
An estimated one in seven adolescents aged between 10 and 19 lives with a diagnosable mental health condition, and 50 per cent of mental health conditions develop before the age of 14. While adolescence can be a period of heightened risk for developing mental health conditions, it is also a critical time of life for developing healthy behaviours and social and emotional skills.
Yet, most countries around the world allocate relatively small budgets to support health systems, and within those budgets an even smaller proportion, just 2 percent on average, is directed towards mental health support, severely limiting resources available for supporting young people.
© UNICEF/UNI596800/Asad
Reimagining integrated solutions at scale for young people’s mental health
Thriving Together takes a systems-change approach to address this gap head-on. By empowering governments, communities and individuals, the partnership helps promote adolescents’ mental health and wellbeing and prevent mental health disorders. Building on three years of success, its impact now extends to 15 program countries: Argentina, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, the Maldives, Mexico, Nepal, Pakistan and Viet Nam.
© UNICEF/UNI646500/Upadhayay
At the heart of the Thriving Together partnership are innovative program tools collaboratively developed and field-tested, offering innovative in-person as well as digital interventions. These tools provide adolescents and caregivers with useful information, skills and strategies on topics such as emotional regulation, stress management and problem solving. The partnership’s impact is being scaled through strengthening policy action and programmatic interventions to reach young people universally, including vulnerable groups.
Since its inception in September 2021, Thriving Together has positively impacted the lives of more than 900,000 adolescents and caregivers. The aim is to support at least 11 million people by 2027.
As a member of the UNICEF-led Global Coalition for Youth Mental Health, the Z Zurich Foundation advocates for increased investment and action. Launched with the support of the Z Zurich Foundation, the Coalition is an alliance of UNICEF private sector partners committed to addressing the increasing global burden of mental health in children and young people by calling for investment and action on mental health.
What's on your mind?
As part of our partnership, we are proud to support UNICEF’s global #OnMyMind advocacy campaign to help encourage conversation about mental health. Together, we will help young people, their friends, families, and communities learn about mental health, start conversations that build connection and call on governments to urgently increase investment in critical services.
Together, we can break the stigma around mental health. It starts with one moment, one conversation, one question: What’s on your mind?
The Global Coalition for Youth Mental Health
Born out of the belief that youth mental wellbeing could not be addressed by one entity alone but through collective action. Today, the Coalition is an alliance of UNICEF partners including Jo Malone London, LuluLemon, Pinterest, Sony Group Corporation, Spotify, Zurich Insurance Group and Z Zurich Foundation.
Our Vision is to ensure child and youth mental health is prioritized on the social, economic, and political agenda, strengthening the skills and supportive environments for the mental health of children and young people worldwide.
Connecting Generations
Together with LiveWell, we have launched Connecting Generations: Guiding your adolescent through their formative years, a new digital tool designed to help caregivers better support their own mental wellbeing and that of their adolescents. Based on materials developed and being field tested by UNICEF*, Connecting Generations equips caregivers with essential resources to enhance their understanding of adolescents, support their mental wellbeing, and strengthen connections with the young people they care for.
Read more and access the materials here
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*UNICEF does not endorse any company, brand, product or service.