Young people are more than beneficiaries of mental health interventions - they are experts in the programmes and circumstances that affect their own mental health and should be fully included and facilitated to lead in discussions and decisions about their wellbeing. We often hear the terms youth leader, advocate, and changemaker. When are these buzzwords, and when do they hold real depth and direction? What happens when youth lead, and lead differently?

On 22nd July, 2025, we turned to the experts to address these questions.