Today’s youth are struggling with their mental health – what does prevention look like?

A glance at the news on any given day will highlight the seemingly insurmountable obstacles and challenges today’s young people face when it comes to their mental health.

Depression, anxiety and tragically suicide are now on a decade-long rise, with seemingly no arrest in sight.

Although we’re seeing proactive steps to curtail some of the more obvious harmful players, such as social media, it’s critical we look to get ahead of the harm with preventative measures.

Preventative mental health support for young people is about providing the tools, skills, and guidance to navigate life’s challenges and reach their full potential. Structured workshops and programs, including those at LifeChanger, foster resilience, self-awareness, and a positive mindset. These activities are carefully designed to address the specific developmental needs of young people, ensuring long-lasting impact.

But what does it take to prepare young people for the uncertain future they face?

• Building self-awareness and emotional intelligence

The foundation of effective youth mental health programs starts with building self-awareness and emotional intelligence. Adolescence is often a time of emotional uncertainty, and many young people struggle to manage or express their feelings. By helping them recognise and understand their emotions, programs empower young people to make conscious and informed decisions.

• Developing resilience

The ability to bounce back from adversity is a crucial life skill. Effective programs include resilience-building exercises, using real-world scenarios to teach young people how to face challenges head-on. Without resilience, academic pressures and social challenges can lead to feelings of failure, inadequacy, low self-esteem, isolation and a heightened risk of depression.

• Encouraging positive role models

Mentorship plays a critical role in preventative mental health programs, with young people benefiting from positive role models, people who demonstrate healthy relationships, effective communication, and responsible behaviour. With LifeChanger’s programs, mentors are chosen from the local community — teachers, senior students, and coaches — ensuring ongoing, relevant support in the immediate surrounds of young people.

• Fostering community engagement

Community involvement is another key element of effective youth programs. By engaging local leaders and organisations, programs ensure young people are supported by a broad network. This sense of community helps reinforce the lessons taught and fosters a feeling of belonging, essential for social development.

• Enhancing life skills and mental health

Effective workshops also focus on practical life skills. Teaching young people skills like communication, conflict resolution, and decision-making prepares them for success as they transition into adulthood. These skills are essential in today’s world, where managing relationships, time, and stress plays a huge role in personal and professional success.

• Creating long-term impact

The structure of effective preventative programs is designed for lasting impact. Through follow-up mentorship, community support, and long-term partnerships with schools, the lessons learned are reinforced over time. Changing behaviours and mindsets doesn’t happen overnight — it requires consistent effort and ongoing support.

We hear it all the time from students, going through the program and returning the next year is an annual highlight for them and a peak moment of reflection on their self-development.

There’s no doubt we must look to tackle some of the more obvious and causal risks to youth mental health head-on. However, just as it’s taken over a decade to identify and act on these risks, there will always be more.

Our responsibility is to equip young people with the tools they need to handle what the world throws at them.

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