The partnership, which has already positively impacted the lives of more than 900,000 adolescents and caregivers, aims to support at least 11 million people by 2027.
Today, on World Mental Health Day, the Z Zurich Foundation and UNICEF announced the renewal of their global partnership Thriving Together to scale up efforts to promote young people’s mental health and wellbeing, supporting an additional 11 million people over the next three years.
Employing a system-change approach at government, community and individual levels, the partnership will continue to enhance countries’ capacities for addressing youth mental health and wellbeing, while also focusing on the prevention of mental health disorders. At the core of the initiative is a set of programme tools, collaboratively developed and field tested, offering innovative in-person as well as digital interventions. Adolescents and caregivers will be provided with useful information, skills, and strategies on how to care for their own and each other’s mental wellbeing.
“For too long, the mental health of children and youth have been sidelined and underfunded. Yet we know that investment in mental health can yield massive benefits for children, adolescents, families and whole societies,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “We are grateful for the continued partnership with the Z Zurich Foundation to support healthier futures through improved mental health and wellbeing for all.”
An estimated one in seven adolescents aged between 10-19 lives with a diagnosable mental health condition and fifty 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 behaviour and social and emotional skills.
“Together with UNICEF, we are addressing the invisible crisis of youth mental wellbeing by transforming systems and creating sustainable change,” said Grégory Renand, Head of the Z Zurich Foundation. “The resounding success of the first phase has demonstrated the profound impact of our strategic partnership, empowering key stakeholders to tailor solutions to support young people’s mental health and wellbeing. With the launch of the second phase, we are poised to accelerate this impact at an unprecedented scale, ensuring sustainable mental wellbeing for even more young people around the world. We see this evolution of our strategic partnership with UNICEF significantly elevating the support we provide in the youth mental wellbeing space.”
The partnership builds on a successful initial three-year phase that empowered more than 900,000 adolescents and caregivers to better care for their mental health and wellbeing. Countries around the world have started to adopt and implement programme tools and approaches promoted through this partnership, demonstrating its role as a catalyst for broader global impact.
To cater to increasing global demand, the partnership is expanding its geographic reach from seven to 15 programme countries: Argentina, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, the Maldives, Mexico, Nepal, Pakistan and Vietnam. The partnership's impact is being scaled through strengthening policy action and programmatic interventions across digital, school, and community platforms to reach young people universally, including vulnerable groups, such as migrant and refugee communities. 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 will continue to advocate 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.
