Bringing a wider lens to adolescent mental health: Aligning measurement frameworks with multisectoral actions
The availability of appropriate data remains a foundation for broader action in adolescent mental health. Limited data collection efforts to date have focused on adolescent health risks (such as bullying), with sparse data on adolescent mental health outcomes. Efforts to develop validated adolescent measures of population mental health (including through UNICEF’s Measurement of Mental Health Among Adolescents at the Population Level (MMAP) initiative) will enable the inclusion of high-quality measures in population or school-based surveys, enabling more nuanced understandings of risks and determinants. UN initiatives are bringing an emphasis on inclusive social policies to address the structural determinants of mental health. These efforts will ultimately have benefits that extend beyond a reduction in mental disorders, optimizing the capabilities and quality of life of this generation.
