Youth Mental Health – 2018 in Review
As a member of the Global Coalition on Youth Mental Health, ATS Pty Ltd was proud to assist with the shout outs on the G7 Summit happening overseas. The collective efforts of membership helped to influence inclusion of Youth Mental Health on the global agenda. Fascinating and insightful, from our view, that the Summit’s leadership demonstrated an inclusive vision centred around woman’s and youth health and well-being.
The official CHARLEVOIX G7 SUMMIT COMMUNIQUE, no. 6, reads:
“To support growth and equal participation that benefits everyone, and ensure our citizens lead healthy and productive lives, we commit to supporting strong, sustainable health systems that promote access to quality and affordable healthcare and to bringing greater attention to mental health. We support efforts to promote and protect women’s and adolescents’ health and well-being through evidence-based healthcare and health information…”
We also joined global efforts with the following initiatives:
In the beginning of 2018 the global Coalition joined together for our first global project. In order to reach our global leaders on a mass scale, ATS Pty Ltd and 59 Coalition members from 12 countries signed onto a joint letter to 27 leaders, urging them to prioritize youth mental health and include it on the G7 Summit agenda, hosted by Charlevoix, Canada. In response to our letter, the Coalition received positive affirmation from Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer, proving the power of a motivated, unified Coalition and inspiring us to continue towards our goal.
United by a common hashtag—#195forMentalHealth— ATS Pty Ltd and Coalition members raised our collective voices for youth mental health, regularly sharing campaigns and best practices. In a unified voice, members retweeted, liked, and posted about their fellow organizations’ initiatives as well as made sure G7 and world leadership heard our calls for greater attention to youth mental health.
Coalition Members Take Leadership at the 1st Ministerial Mental Health Summit
We are happy to report that further advances were made by our membership around the world, and that youth leadership is a cornerstone of global advancement and sustainable outcomes.
Following the G7 Summit, health ministers from Canada, the UK, and Australia collaborated to create the first Global Ministerial Mental Health Summit, bringing together the world’s political leaders, innovators, experts, policy makers and civil society to share the most effective and innovative approaches to mental health. Several Coalition members took up the mantle to spread the word on youth mental health to leaders around the world during this meeting and the world responded with some admirable commitments:
– Global Declaration on Achieving Equality for Mental Health
– Recommendations to Ministers:
– the right of young people’s access to mental health care,
– the involvement of young people and families in mental health decision- and policy-making,
– the support and funding of ‘physical and mental health integration’, and
– the promotion of mentally healthy environments from birth to early adulthood.
This post follows the Press Release from the Global Coalition on Youth Mental Health dated 5-2-19.
