Mental wellbeing in young people

With this initiative, the International Science Council, in collaboration with the World Health Organization, aims to bring together youth from diverse global contexts and experts from diverse fields, including psychology, neuroscience, education science, sociology, anthropology, and psychological and developmental medicine. The objective is to develop an expert understanding of the determinants behind the declining subjective wellbeing of young people. Through this endeavor, we seek to enhance our comprehension of the relative importance of these determinants across global contexts, with implications for national, regional, and international policy.

The project comprises three phases:

• Phase 1: Conducting focus groups in six to eight regions worldwide to develop a comprehensive systems map of the factors contributing to the decline in subjective wellbeing among young people.
• Phase 2: Analyzing existing data to provide a clearer understanding of the prevalence of these issues in various global contexts.
• Phase 3: Crafting a concise, action-oriented policy brief, jointly published and promoted by the International Science Council and project partners.

The project team, along with oversight and peer review committees established in March 2023, have begun scoping peer-reviewed literature and relevant research to explore current insights into the determinants of young people’s mental health. This includes examining conceptual frameworks that can guide discussions on this topic.

Project team

• Jessica Stubbing, New Zealand – Project lead
• Zaynab Essack, South Africa, nominated by the Human Science Research Council
• Barry Coughlan, England, nominated by the British Academy
• Olayinka Omigbodun, Nigeria, nominated by the Nigerian Academy of Science
• Merike Sisask, Estonia, nominated by the Estonian Academy of Sciences
• Isabelle Archambault, Canada, nominated by the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists
• Desiree Phua, Singapore
• Mauricio Andres Herron Gloria, Colombia
• Andrea Milena Lafaurie Molina, Colombia
  

Oversight committee

• Eva Alisic, Australia – Steering Committee Chair
• Tahilia Rebello, United States, nominated by International Union of Psychological Science
• Rochelle Burgess, United Kingdom, nominated by UK Academy of Medical Sciences
• Marie-Claude Geoffroy, Canada, nominated by RSC College of New Scholars
• Himali De Silva, Sri Lanka, nominated by the OWSD National Chapter in Sri Lanka
  Lourdes Cantarero Arevalo, Denmark, nominated by the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters
• Chioma Daisy Onyige, Nigeria, nominated by the Global Young Academy
• Jennifer McMahon, Ireland, nominated by the Royal Irish Academy
• Felipe Agudelo-Herñandez, Colombia, nominated by CLACSO-Latin American Council of Social Sciences
• Allan Benedict Bernardo, Philippins, nominated by the National Research Council of the Phillipines
• Ying Qian, China, nominated by the China Association for Science and Technology
• Alejandra Barcala, Argentina, nominated by CLACSO-Latin American Council of Social Sciences
• Randolph Neese, United States
  

Peer review committee

• Emma Farrell, Ireland, nominated by the Young Academy of Ireland
• Tracie Afifi, Canada, nominated by the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists
• Patrick McGorry, Australia, nominated by the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences
• Christian Kieling, Brazil, nominated by the Brazilian Academy of Sciences
• Anna Alexandrova-Karamanova Bulgaria, nominated by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
• MA. Regina Hechanova Alampay Philippines, nominated by the National Research Council of the Phillipines