Responding early to support the mental health and wellbeing of young people

The mental health and wellbeing of today's young people is undermined by high levels of psychological distress and prevalent mental health problems. Young people face unique challenges during their extended transition from childhood to adulthood and experience a period of heightened vulnerability to mental health concerns. This vulnerability has been exacerbated by the impacts of the COVID19 pandemic and increasing exposure to disturbing events throughout the world. It is critical to intervene early and effectively when mental health problems emerge to reduce their harmful impact and prevent adverse consequences into adulthood. One of the main challenges to intervening early and taking a preventive approach is the reluctance of young people to seek help, particularly from professional mental health care services. This reluctance can be mirrored by the hesitancy of adults with significant roles in young people's lives to reach out and intervene. The teenage and early adult years are characterized by both the highest level of need for effective mental health care and the lowest level of service use. Many personal, interpersonal, and systems factors impact on help-seeking processes for young people and the people who support them. These must be understood so that barriers to seeking help can be overcome and young people are able to easily access mental health care when and how they need it. Effective responses require engagement of the whole community including family, peers, and trusted adults in young people's lives, as well as health, mental health, and community service providers. Technology has a vital role in reaching out to and engaging young people in interventions that support their mental health in ways that suit their technologyenmeshed lives. Integrated systems are needed with easily navigated transitions between self-help, informal support and holistic professional services, and between online and in-person settings, all underpinned by a well-informed community. Many countries have recognized the imperative to prioritize youth mental health and are creating innovative youth mental health systems to intervene early. Today's young people must be equipped to meet the significant challenges they will face as tomorrow's adults, and this requires responding early to support their mental health and wellbeing.