We asked Orygen’s Director of Policy and Engagement Vivienne Browne why the Lancet Psychiatry Commission on youth mental health is a pivotal moment for Orygen and youth mental health around the world.
If something is in The Lancet, it’s worth taking seriously.
It’s one of the oldest medical journals in existence, and one of the highest-impact academic journals globally. It’s not just about research, but influencing change in health policy, service and practice across the world.
We finally have a comprehensive world-wide view of the state of youth mental health.
This is the first time we’ve seen a review of the state of youth mental health across the globe. The commission highlights the gap between the prevalence and impact of mental ill-health among young people (it accounts for 45 per cent of disease across the world in people aged 10 – 24), and the insufficient policy and funding responses from governments, with only 2 per cent of global health budgets allocated to addressing it.
The commission authors aren’t just professors.
It’s not only written by academic, service, economic and policy experts, it’s co-authored by 10 youth commissioners from around the world, with young voices and perspectives from Australia, Zambia, Morocco, Canada, India, Ireland, Hong Kong, Singapore, Brazil and Canada represented.
It offers real, relevant and endorsed solutions.
No one could claim to be in the dark anymore. This commission lays bare the scale of the issue, the impacts on society and government and details real-world, locally relevant and endorsed solutions. So far, the political momentum to address the youth mental health crisis is yet to materialise, or hasn’t gone far enough. The time is now!
It’s further validation of Orygen’s decades-long mission and recognises us as a world-leader.
This paper is the culmination of four years’ work from all the contributors including several from Orygen. It signifies a major step in global recognition that youth mental health must be an international health priority. Orygen, along with our international collaborators, have led this charge for more than three decades – this commission further validates and drives our mission and purpose.