o see true and lasting change, key actors and human rights defenders should play an active role in amplifying the voice of survivors and the LGBTQ+ community to advocate for the eradication of these harmful practices.

From ages 10-24, mental health conditions make up nearly half the overall burden of disease; 75% of mental health conditions emerge by age 24. These figures show that supporting the mental health of young people like us is imperative. 

A year ago this week, The Upswing Fund launched in response to an alarming decline in adolescent mental health exacerbated by COVID-19.

Approximately 66 million women on the African continent are experiencing depression, and due to lack of investment, about 85% of these women have no access to effective treatment.

For instance, this year’s results of the mental health screening of refugees passing along the Balkan route (PIN, 2021) show that 85% of refugees are psychologically vulnerable, i.e., are in need of psychological support or mental health care, which reveals a negative trend in the overall psychological vulnerability when compared to previous years.

This year Pakistan’s federal Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives launched a Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) initiative.

With Health forming a big part of the agenda of the forum’s various events, sessions and high level meetings, there were some encouraging inroads for mental health. 

The Global Mental Health Action Network is excited to launch a new Working Group on Universal Health Coverage (UHC), recognizing the importance of working towards integrating Mental Health into UHC, which has been highlighted as a key tenet of sustainable development per SDG 3.8. There

The two weeks of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) are a key moment in the global calendar for advocacy groups to create awareness, debate and media attention on critical issues relating to the SDGs, climate, human rights and development.

Women’s reproductive and sexual health cannot be separated from their mental health. If we are serious about parity of mental and physical health, we need integration.

In 2020, the founder of mental health venture capital organisation What If Ventures, Stephen Hayes, documented that mental health startups were approaching 1,000 in number.

Women with mental health conditions in Ghana often struggle to access maternal health services, which leaves them at higher risk during pregnancy and child birth.

The mental health movement that started in Cameroon in 2015 has completely changed how mental health is perceived and practiced.

A new free online course on Basic Psychosocial Skills has been made available by the WHO CC UTS.

Last week The Global Mental Health Action Network held their virtual Annual Meeting. Open to their membership of over 1300 individuals from over 100 countries, the meeting was held between 2nd and 3rd June. 

Burnout was a massive challenge even before the Covid-19 pandemic. A 2015 study found that workplace stress and burnout contributed to at least 120,000 deaths in the US each year, for example, with additional costs of up to $190 billion or 8% of national spending on health care annually.

YCN is a four month module conceived with the objectives of building capacities and providing support to youth leaders in order for them to deliver psychosocial first aid services for their peers.

On 2nd and 3rd June, the Global Mental Health Action Network is hosting its Annual Meeting. This is a key opportunity for network members to engage with one another, learn from others and inspire advocacy for the coming year, and this year it will be fully virtual.

Lived experience is not a one-dimensional checkbox to check. We lived experiencer-s are also diverse. Some of us want to share our stories, some approach the experience with precision science, some might not want to say anything at all. It is time to acknowledge and respect this.