Youth mental health is increasingly recognised as a critical global public health issue, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where young people face overlapping social, economic, and environmental pressures.

On 30 March 2026, the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), in partnership with the Science for Africa Foundation, hosted a global webinar titled “Life Stressors and Youth Mental Health in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Evidence, Trends, and Implications.” The event brought together researchers, policymakers, NGOs, and youth stakeholders from across Africa, Asia, and beyond, reflecting strong demand for collaboration and solutions.

Elevating youth mental health as a policy priority

A key message from the webinar was the urgent need to position youth mental health at the centre of health and science diplomacy agendas. Across LMICs, mental health challenges—particularly anxiety and depression—are widespread and often rooted in early-life experiences shaped by trauma, stigma, poverty, and digital influences.

Despite this, current responses remain largely reactive, focusing on treatment rather than prevention. The discussion called for a shift toward early intervention, resilience-building, and system-level approaches that prioritise well-being over crisis response.

“Health diplomacy creates opportunities for shared learning, fosters collaboration, and enables the alignment of efforts, while remaining sensitive to diverse contexts.”
— Dr Zaynab Essack, HSRC

Understanding the drivers of youth mental health

The webinar reinforced that youth mental health is shaped by a complex web of interconnected stressors:

• Personal factors: including low self-esteem, trauma, and substance use
• Social pressures: such as family dynamics, inequality, stigma, and violence
• Structural challenges: including poverty, limited access to services, and policy gaps
• Emerging influences: such as digital technology, climate change, and food insecurity

Across countries, these stressors are strikingly similar, highlighting the need for both global collaboration and context-specific solutions.

Academic pressure also emerged as a significant concern, with competitive education systems contributing to rising stress and anxiety among young people.

The role of research and collaboration

A strong emphasis was placed on the importance of cross-country research and evidence-based policymaking. Comparative insights help identify shared trends, inform scalable solutions, and strengthen regional cooperation.

“Rigorous, context-sensitive evidence on youth mental health and resilience enables health diplomacy to drive coordinated, preventive, and cross-sector interventions.”
— Dr Supriya Bhavnani

“Cross-country evidence can be translated into scalable tools, youth-driven innovations, and policy-ready outputs.”
— Dr Brew Obed

These perspectives highlight the value of linking research, policy, and practice to achieve meaningful impact.

From dialogue to action

The webinar moved beyond identifying challenges to outlining a clear path forward. Key priorities include:

• Strengthening strategic partnerships across sectors and regions
• Aligning funding and investment to support coordinated responses
• Promoting youth participation in policy and programme design
• Investing in preventive, system-level interventions
• Supporting global platforms such as the 2026 Global Mental Health Africa Conference

Participants also engaged in discussions on collaboration opportunities, signalling strong momentum toward a shared global agenda.

Key takeaways

• Youth mental health is a growing and urgent global challenge
• Life stressors—especially educational, social, and economic—are key drivers of mental health outcomes
• There is a need for integrated, evidence-based policy approaches across countries
• Collaboration, funding alignment, and youth inclusion are essential for sustainable impact

Looking ahead

The webinar successfully brought together diverse stakeholders and reinforced the importance of cross-sector collaboration. More importantly, it highlighted a clear opportunity to move from conversation to implementation.

By aligning research, policy, and practice—and placing young people at the centre—there is real potential to transform mental health systems in LMICs and support youth to thrive.