International Youth Day, 12 August 2014

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August 12, 2014 1:12 PM

Today is the International Youth Day and it is being celebrated with the theme Youth and Mental Health...

The theme of International Youth Day 2014 is “Youth and Mental Health” under the slogan ‘Mental Health Matters’.

Youth with mental health conditions can often experience stigma and discrimination, which in turn can lead to exclusion and/or discourage people from seeking help for fear of being negatively ‘labelled’. Efforts are needed to overcome this stigma to ensure that young people with mental health conditions can lead full and healthy lives free of isolation and unnecessary shame, and that they openly seek the services and support they need. You can be part of these efforts!

UN DESA, through the Focal Point on Youth, and the Inter-Agency Network on Youth Development, promotes a multi-dimensional approach to addressing the challenges faced by young people with mental health issues, including tackling stigma and promoting social inclusion to enable all young people to achieve their aspirations and goals.

The Secretary-General of the United Nations Mr. Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth, Mr Ahmad Alhendawi, DESA ASG Mr. Gass, Ambassador of Republic of Palau to the UN, H.E. Dr. Otto and Mental Health Youth Advocates Alicia Raimundo and Jordan Burnham will discuss why youth mental health matters. Start sending your questions to the panelists on Twitter by using#MentalHealthMatters or by sending them to youth@un.org. You can also watch the event LIVE 12 August at 10:30am EST on http://webtv.un.org/

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