Global Coalition Mental Health Open Letter

NEW YORK, 24 September 2024 – Today at an innovative financing for mental health event at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), UNICEF and the Global Coalition for Youth Mental Health launched an open letter, signed by more than 40 businesses and organizations, calling for greater investment and action on child and youth mental health globally.

Supported by UNICEF Coalition members, including Jo Malone London, lululemon, Pinterest, Spotify, Zurich Insurance Company Ltd and Z Zurich Foundation, and joined by global businesses and organizations, such as Capgemini, Dove, Kleenex, LEGO Foundation, Les Mills, Movember, Pandora, Tim Bergling Foundation, and United for Global Mental Health, the letter urges a coordinated multi-sectoral response to address the global mental health funding gap of at least US$200 billion.

Increased funding is critical to supporting child and youth mental health, especially in the face of continued challenges that existed long before the pandemic, including climate change, global humanitarian crises, online risks and historic underinvestment in its promotion, prevention and care. 

One in seven adolescents worldwide are living with a mental health condition — with most cases going undetected and untreated. This is exacerbated by limited resources. On average less than 2 per cent of global government health expenditures is spent on mental health for the general population, while only a very small proportion of these funds goes towards children's mental health services.

“The private sector has a unique capacity to foster mental health and wellbeing, through their substantial influence within their workforces, through their services and customers, and globally. By leveraging their resources, expertise and influence, UNICEF and partners can contribute to comprehensive, accessible, and effective solutions that address the diverse needs of children, young people, caregivers and communities at large to promote mental health and wellbeing on a global scale,” said UNICEF Director of Private Fundraising and Partnerships Carla Haddad Mardini.

UNICEF’s Global Coalition for Youth Mental Health and its members are calling for wider recognition, investment and responsibility from the business community, and private and public sectors to drive forward progress.

Jo Dancey, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Jo Malone London said: “Too many children and young people are living with mental health conditions, but don’t have access to support or treatment. As a global brand and a UNICEF Coalition member, we care deeply about this issue and the need for change. By signing this letter alongside over 40 businesses and organizations, we are highlighting the need for global leaders to act early to support the mental health of children, young people and caregivers globally.”

Katarina Berg, General Manager Sweden + CHRO, Sustainability, Global Workplace Services at Spotify, said: “We are proud of our ongoing partnership with UNICEF and we remain committed to making a meaningful impact on improving mental health and wellbeing outcomes for our listeners, artists, and creators." 

Wanji Walcott, Chief Legal and Business Affairs Officer at Pinterest, said "At Pinterest, we're creating an inspirational and positive online experience for young people everywhere. Supporting youth mental health and wellbeing is foundational to our mission and this work requires everyone coming together. We're proud to partner with UNICEF and other coalition members to leverage our collective resources and help tackle the mental health funding gap."

Gary Shaughnessy, Chair of the Z Zurich Foundation, said: “We are dedicated to relentlessly contributing to mental wellbeing programmes which can best support youth to thrive in all aspects of their life. It's encouraging to witness the positive response from various sectors to our call for increased investment in mental health globally. Although there is still much work to be done, these efforts will significantly help to address the mental health needs of all young people, particularly those who are most vulnerable." 

UNICEF’s Global Coalition for Youth Mental Health and its members are calling for wider recognition, investment and responsibility from the business community, and private and public sectors to drive forward progress.

Other supporting signatories of the letter include Orange and the Solterre Foundation, as well as key global mental health actors, such as the MHPSS Collaborative, the Healthy Brains Global Initiative, Prospira Global and Vertentes, among others.

This is a critical year for addressing child and youth mental health as a global issue, with actions taken now paving the way to the United Nations General Assembly High Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and Mental Health in September 2025, which will culminate in the publication of an outcome document with commitments across member states.

Full list of signatories:

UNICEF Coalition Member signatories: Jo Malone London, lululemon, Pinterest, Spotify, Z Zurich Foundation, Zurich Insurance Company Ltd

Supported by: Cape Mental Health, Capgemini, ChildFund International, Darbar Sahitya Sansada, Dove, Family first nurseries, Global Mental Health Lab, Columbia University, Health Brains Global Initiative, Health Poverty Action, Instituto Vita Alere de Prevencao e Posvencao do Suicidio, Kleenex, League for Mental Health in Slovakia, LEGO Foundation, Les Mills International Ltd, Little Lions Child Coaching NPC, Mental Wealth Initiative, The University of Sydney, MLAC institute for Psychosocial Services, Movember, Northern Cape Mental Health Society, Orange, Pandora, Partnership for Children, Professionals for Humanity (PROFOH), Prospira Global, Sehat Jiwa Bahagia, Soleterre Foundation, SoulBeeGood, Tanzania Community Health Information and Support (TaCHIS), The MHPSS Collaborative, Tim Bergling Foundation, Trusts Motion, United for Global Mental Health, Vertentes, War Child Alliance, Youth Association for Development Pakistan, YouthConnektAfrica.

Notes to editors:

The Open Letter to global leaders gathering for UNGA 79 and the Summit for the Future says:

‘As you gather for the United Nations General Assembly High Level Week and the Summit of the Future, we, over 40 businesses, organizations and supporters from over 20 countries, together with the Global Coalition for Youth Mental Health led by UNICEF - are calling for increased investment in and action on child and youth mental health globally. Historic underinvestment in mental health promotion, prevention and care and ongoing stigma and discrimination, accompanied by the impact of COVID-19 and persisting global challenges, are affecting child and youth mental health in every country. While demand for support is increasing, global investment is not even meeting the current levels of need.

Mental health determines emotional, intellectual, physical and social well-being. It shapes how we think, feel and act and confers our ability to handle stress, build and manage relationships, and make choices that affect not only our own lives, but also those of the people around us. Mental health is important at every stage of life, especially for children and young people. When child and youth mental health is prioritized the impact on young lives both now and for the future is significant, including improved quality of life, increased likelihood of completing education, long-term economic returns, and lower rates of premature mortality. However, the consequences of failing to address child and youth mental health conditions extend into adulthood. Fifty per cent of mental health conditions develop before the age of 14 and have the potential of impairing both physical and mental health and limiting children’s opportunities to lead fulfilling lives. Additionally, suicide is the 4th leading cause of death among 15- to 19-year-olds globally.

The global annual mental health finance gap is estimated to be at least $200 billion. Most countries around the world allocate relatively small budgets to support health systems, and within those budgets an even smaller proportion, just 2 per cent on average, is directed towards mental health support - including much-needed child and youth mental health services. This critical funding gap must be addressed so we can collectively meet the urgent mental health needs of future generations.

It is estimated that, due to mental health conditions, we lose nearly US$390 billion worth of human capital that could go towards national economies each year. We must promote a multi-sectoral response to achieve change. Both the private and the public sectors have a key role to play through investment and influence, to break this cycle and shape our collective future.

The Global Coalition for Youth Mental Health calls for increased investment in mental health across all countries and in all sectors and settings, including in humanitarian crises, that meets the mental health needs of all young people, especially those most in need. We urge governments to increase their domestic spending on mental health within relevant budgets including health, education and social services, as well as scale funding for mental health and psychosocial support within international development assistance. This should include targeted financing for children and youth.

Acting early to support children, youth and caregivers is the best investment we can make to promote good mental health, prevent poor mental health, and respond to the complex mental health issues children face today. We urge you to prioritize child and youth mental health now.

We are calling for global leaders across the public and private sectors to invest in:

• Ensuring every child, youth and caregiver globally can access support for their mental health:  This means increasing access to quality and holistic mental health support provided across sectors, by investing in promotion, prevention and care for children, youth and caregivers, with a focus on community-based care that is effective, sustainable, age sensitive and culturally appropriate.
• Filling the evidence gaps on child and youth mental health: This means improving data and increasing research to better understand who is affected in each context and what works for specific at-risk groups, and to further expand our ability to respond across age groups, with a focus on promotion and prevention. This investment should aim to future-proof our response, ensuring resilience during pressing global challenges such as in humanitarian emergencies and climate and ecological crises.
• Developing internal strategies and practices: This includes fostering employees’ mental health and well-being by encompassing mental health support within the workplace and developing and adapting products or services offered by the company and in the wider community. This includes initiatives tailored for youth and caregivers employed in the organizations.

Though our inner worlds are often unseen, our actions should not be. Child and youth mental health is ‘On Our Minds’.’

About the Global Coalition for Youth Mental Health

The Global Coalition for Youth Mental Health was established by UNICEF, with the support of the Z Zurich Foundation, to address the increasing global burden of mental health in young people by calling for investment and action on mental health. Current Coalition members include Jo Malone London, Pinterest, Sony, Spotify, Zurich Insurance Group and Z Zurich Foundation.

Since its launch, the Coalition members have collectively invested over US$30 million in child and youth mental health, catalyzing significant impact in numerous countries. Its direct investment has globally empowered children and young people with tools, training, and awareness initiatives. This means that young people worldwide are equipped with the necessary resources to navigate their mental health and wellbeing, enabling them to face life's challenges with resilience and confidence.