Young people worldwide face a perfect storm for their mental health. Here's how to help them

The world’s 1.2 billion young people – 16% of the global population – stand at a crossroads. They face a future shaped by relentless technological upheavals, economic turbulence and an evolving social fabric that demands more from them than any generation before. In a world more connected than ever, their struggles are both uniquely personal and profoundly global.

Despite improvements in the global labour market, youth unemployment remains a significant concern. In 2023, a staggering 64.9 million young people aged 15 to 24 found themselves unemployed, with the youth unemployment rate at 13.6% – more than triple that of adults. This isn't merely a statistic; it represents millions of dreams deferred, careers stunted and potential unrealized. Behind these numbers lies a perfect storm of systemic barriers: rapidly automating industries, widening skills gaps and persistent economic instability.

Education is a cornerstone of youth empowerment, yet 244 million children and youth are out of school globally. A significant portion of these children reside in low-income countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, which accounts for more than half of all out-of-school children and adolescents worldwide. The lack of access to quality education limits career prospects and exacerbates cycles of poverty.

When the World Health Organization reports that 50% of mental health conditions begin by age 18, it underscores that the world is witnessing a generational emergency. Yet most cases remain untreated due to stigma, lack of access to care and insufficient mental health services. With suicide emerging as one of the leading causes of death among young people, the urgency of this crisis cannot be overstated.

Unlike any previous generation, today's youth navigate a landscape where traditional challenges intersect with new digital-age pressures. The crisis faced by young people cannot be understood in isolation, as it stems from interconnected local and global pressures:

The sheer scale of these challenges calls for urgent, coordinated action. While governments and policy-makers grapple with systemic reforms, collaborative global initiatives are stepping in to bridge the gaps. Recognizing that youth are not just beneficiaries but key drivers of change, organizations are pioneering innovative solutions – focusing on education access, employment pathways and mental health advocacy.

Collaboration and collective action are essential to address youth issues effectively, ensuring that young people have the resources, opportunities and support they need to thrive. This is the mission and method of the Youth Alliance, a community of practice established by Impact Europe and Schneider Electric Foundation. Bringing together impact capital providers, including corporate impact actors, the alliance empowers youth by co-funding and co-investing in projects, sharing knowledge, policy advocacy and integrating youth voices in decision-making.

This approach enables the mobilization of larger resources and encourages corporate partnerships that would not have happened otherwise. Such was the case with Amazon and SAP, who invested in Meet and Code, an initiative empowering young Europeans to enhance their digital skills. Last year, it reached over 32,000 young Europeans, 40% of whom came from marginalized communities.

Meanwhile, the World Economic Forum’s Healthy Workforces initiative is prioritizing youth mental health as a key factor in shaping a resilient future workforce. The upcoming Brain Economy Action Forum will convene global stakeholders to drive actionable solutions, while a focused initiative on child and youth mental health aims to improve early intervention and expand access to care. These efforts seek to integrate mental well-being into workforce policies and economic strategies.

Tackling the youth mental health crisis demands urgent, coordinated action from several different stakeholders:

Policy-makers: Invest in education, mental health and youth employment infrastructure. Engage youth as active contributors to policy discussions, not just beneficiaries.

Mario Nava, Director-General, DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion European Commission, wrote about the importance of partnering with policy-makers for youth empowerment in his foreword to the Youth Alliance’s white paper Better Together for Youth: “Now more than ever, we need to foster partnerships that create real, sustainable impact. I encourage all stakeholders to join us in this mission to empower the next generation, ensuring that Europe’s youth are not just beneficiaries of our policies, but active contributors to shaping the future of the Union.”

Corporations: Provide mentorship, skills training and job pathways. By supporting youth, corporates lay the groundwork for a future workforce unhindered by current challenges to their well-being; by giving them a seat at the decision-making table, they can align strategies to the priorities of the next generation, such as sustainability. Pursuing partnerships is also an opportunity for corporates. The Youth Alliance’s example shows the value of co-investment in youth-focused initiatives and young social entrepreneurs, as the partnership model allows the mobilization of larger resources and the pooling of efforts necessary for greater impact on youth.

Capital providers: Invest in projects and enterprises with proven impact track records on youth empowerment and well-being. Co-invest, co-create and orchestrate funding solutions for youth-focused initiatives that are complementary across the capital chain. Ensure youth voices are integrated in investment theses. Embed impact measurement and management in investments; share knowledge and raise awareness of both methods and outcomes.

Communities and individuals: Advocate for youth mental health awareness and support initiatives.

The well-being of our youth is not just a concern – it is a defining issue of our time. If we fail to act now, we risk an entire generation weighed down by mental health struggles, economic uncertainty and lost potential. But with bold policies, inclusive workplaces and empowered communities, we can rewrite this narrative. The future belongs to the youth – it’s our responsibility to ensure they have the support, resilience and opportunities to shape it.