Young leaders are driving solutions and reimagining mental health in the digital age.
New York, USA – The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Global Center for Child and Adolescent Mental Health at the Child Mind Institute has announced the Inaugural Global Summit on Youth Mental Health, taking place during the 80th UN General Assembly (UNGA) High-level Week.
Under the theme The Digital Dilemma: Bridging Science and Storytelling for Youth Mental Health, the summit is set to take place on September 22 at the Child Mind Institute headquarters in New York City and will include young leaders from several countries — including Brazil, South Africa, and Greece — as well as international partners and experts in child and adolescent mental health care. During the event, the SNF Global Center will introduce a competition for young people in Brazil to develop brief, interactive activities to support healthier tech habits.
The summit will be opened by Dr. Harold S. Koplewicz, founding president and medical director of the Child Mind Institute, and Andreas Dracopoulos, co-president of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF).
The first panel, “Grassroots Youth Leadership in Mental Health: Stories from Brazil, South Africa, and Greece,” will feature young changemakers who are actively involved in youth-led mental health initiatives supported by the SNF Global Center. The session will spotlight their work in local communities and elevate youth perspectives on the relationship between technology and mental health.
The event comes at a pivotal time in global health. For the first time, mental health and well-being will be formally integrated within the global agenda on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) during the fourth High-level Meeting of the UNGA. This shift in international mental health policy is expected to accelerate the strengthening of mental health systems through a multisectoral approach and collaborative action.
The Global Summit on Youth Mental Health will feature youth-led panels, cross-sectoral dialogue sessions, and networking opportunities to examine the complex relationship between digital technologies and youth mental health through scientific and lived experience narratives across diverse cultural contexts.
“This important summit comes at a critical moment in history, when mental health care has gained its rightful place in international health governance with the integration into the global agenda on NCDs at UNGA,” said Giovanni Abrahão Salum, senior vice president of Global Programs at the Child Mind Institute. “The digital landscape is also experiencing exponential transformation. By partnering with youth and bridging sectors through scientific evidence and storytelling, we can improve systems and solutions that both empower and protect young people in digital environments.”
Panels will include topics on exploring opportunities for reimagining youth mental health and well-being and using digital connectivity for positive change and grassroots youth leadership.
Valuable perspectives from inspiring young leaders across other low- and middle-income countries (including Lebanon, Peru, and Trinidad and Tobago), will also be presented during an inspiring talk on mental health awareness, change, and innovation.
The Global Summit on Youth Mental Health is a commitment toward continued and strategic support for youth participation and youth-led organizations in the mental health care landscape. By uniting young leaders and international experts, the SNF Global Center at the Child Mind Institute is also highlighting the opportunities for collaborative action to reshape how digital environments can impact youth mental health.
About the SNF Global Center at the Child Mind Institute
The SNF Global Center brings together the Child Mind Institute’s expertise as a leading independent nonprofit in children’s mental health and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF)’s deep commitment to supporting collaborative projects to improve access to quality health care worldwide. The center is building partnerships to drive advances in under-researched areas of children and adolescents’ mental health, and expand access to culturally appropriate training, resources, and treatment in low- and middle-income countries. This work is conducted by the Child Mind Institute with support from SNF through its Global Health Initiative (GHI).
About the Child Mind Institute
The Child Mind Institute is dedicated to transforming the lives of children and families struggling with mental health and learning disorders by giving them the help they need. We’ve become the leading independent nonprofit in children’s mental health by providing gold-standard, evidence-based care, delivering educational resources to millions of families each year, training educators in underserved communities, and developing tomorrow’s breakthrough treatments.
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