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UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon on Tuesday called for wide-raging efforts to raise awareness about the importance of investing in and supporting young people with mental health conditions.
In his message for the International Youth Day, which fell on Tuesday, Ban said that lack of access to mental health services, stigma, shame, and irrational fears leave people with mental health conditions "more vulnerable to poverty, violence and social exclusion, and negatively impacting society as a whole."
"The United Nations wants to help lift the veil that keeps young people locked in a chamber of isolation and silence," he said, stressing that mental-health should be talked about in the same way as overall health.
Commemorating this year's theme "Mental Health Matters" at a half-day special event at the Headquarters in New York, the Secretary-General said in his remarks that helping young people to realize their potential is at the heart of this year's observance of Youth Day, which focuses on mental health.
"To any young person who struggles with mental health issues I say: the United Nations supports you. We believe in your ability to improve our world. And we want to help you realize that potential for our collective future," he said.
The event also saw the launch of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs publication Mental Health Matters: the Social Inclusion of youth with mental health conditions. It reported that one-fifth of the young people around the world experience a mental health condition, with risks especially great during the transition from childhood to adulthood.
On Dec. 17, 1999, the UN General Assembly endorsed in its resolution 54/120 the recommendation made by the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth that August 12 be declared International Youth Day. The Day is meant as an opportunity to draw attention to a given set of cultural and legal issues surrounding youth worldwide.
