GlobalCoalitionforunicef@foreverychildUnderstandina the Mental HealthImpact of Global ChallengesonGenZUNICEFPERCEPTIONSOFYOUTHMENTALHEALTHREPORT2025
YOUTHMENTALFOREWORDFor many, especially young people, the welight of these overlapping crises isnotabstr act =it's deeplv personal showing uo in their minds. their bodies. and theirsense of hope for the futureWEAREINATIMEOFCRISIS-FROMGEOPOLITICALThis study offers timely and vital insights into how young people perceive andCONFLICTTOCLIMATEexperience the mental health impact of the world around them. It gives voice to aANXIETY,MENTALHEALTHgrowing collective unease, but also to the resilience, creativity, and determinationwith which Gen Z are respondingSTRUGGLESTOECONOMICUNCERTAINTY.Understandingperceptionis thefirst step towardmeaningful action.If we canlisten more deeply- not just to the facts, but to the feelinas- wecanbegin toITCANFEELASTHOUGHWEdesign and scale solutions th at are grounded in empathy and centered on humanARECAUGHTINAwell-being.CONSTANTSTORMOFMentalhealthmust no longer be treated as aside effect ofglobalCHALLENGES,WITHLITTLEdisruption; it must be part of how we respond, recover, and reimagineCONTROLOVERTHEour future.FORCESSHAPINGOURWe hope this study helps inspire a new urgency- and asharedWORLD.responsibllity-to act.Dr Zeinab HijaziMentalHealth GlcbalLead,UNCEF
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OVERVIEWOFFINDINGSTHENEWSMOREGen Z consume newsCONSUMPTIONTHANANYOTHERTYPEOFCONTENTPARADOXGenZaredeeplvenaaged withthe world'sfuture.Thev wanttoGenZ surveyed report6in10havearolein shapinathe future of their communities andfeelingoverwhelmedbycountries. Despite an overwhelming news cycle, Gen Z activelynews and eventsconsumenewsmorethan any othertypeofcontent-thevfeea strong sense of accountability for shaping the futureGen Z who feel overwhelm reportLOWERWELL-BEINGThisconstant enaaaement comes at a cost. 6 in 10GenZreportfeeling overwhelmed by news and events happening inSCOREStheir community, their country, and the world at largeOverwhelmerodeswell-beina and empowerment.GenZwhoGen Z with lower well-being scoresholdfeel this sense of overwhelm are more likely to report lowerwell- being. Those with low well-beina, in turn. feel aheiahtenedLOWERSENSESOFsense of disempowerment. By not supporting them, we arestripping Gen Z of their agency in contributing to making theＥＭＰＯＷＥＲＭＥＮＴworld a better place for themselves and future generations
OVERVIEWOFFINDINGSTHEBATTLEAGAINST4 in10of Gen Z stillfeelstigma inSTIGMAISNOTYETWONOfGenZareknowledgeable52%about where to find resources,Despite strong familiarity with the topic of mental health, theand help to support theirbattle against stigma is not yet won. While Gen Z are well-mental health and well-beingversed in mental health discourse, negative perceptionsaround people speaking about their mental health are still verystrong-and demand a nuanced and culturally-app...
