Supporting Children's Mental Health
11 videos • 28 views • by UNICEF USA A big part of UNICEF's mission to save and protect the world's most vulnerable children extends to children's mental health — an area of growing concern in the midst of global conflict, the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change. These existential threats are taking a heavy toll on children and raising concerns about the mental health of a generation. 1 in 7 children ages 6 to 18 have a diagnosable mental health condition. Most go unrecognized and untreated. Whenever and wherever children and adolescents are in crisis, UNICEF works with partners to provide psychosocial support, counseling and vocational and life-skills training. Meeting mental health needs in emergencies is only part of it, however. For healthy development, children need mental health support throughout their childhood. An important step forward is to open a dialogue around mental health concerns, which helps to de-stigmatize mental health. "It's okay not to be okay" is a helpful message for children and adolescents to hear. Caregivers can foster good mental health by nurturing children and allowing them to play, grow and express themselves. UNICEF has training programs that are helping to build these capacities within communities. Yet historic underinvestment in mental health continues to hurt all children. Less than 1 percent of governmental health budgets in low-income countries goes toward mental health. Help UNICEF reach more children and adolescents with mental health services and support. Urge Congress to pass the Mental Health in International Development and Humanitarian Settings (MINDS) Act, the first-ever U.S. legislation that aims to make mental health and psychosocial services part of U.S. foreign assistance.