Kingston, Jamaica, 13 October 2025 (PAHO) - Across Jamaica, and perhaps now more than ever, conversations about mental health are becoming more open, more relatable, and more urgent. We better understand the need to promote mental wellness and strengthen the systems that support our adolescents and youth. Behind every statistic is a young person with hopes, challenges, and the need to feel seen, heard, and supported. Every child and adolescent deserves access to care, safe spaces, and compassionate connections that help them cope, grow, and thrive.
This year’s World Mental Health Day, observed under the theme “Empower, Connect, Care: Strengthening Child and Youth Mental Health in the Americas,” comes at a crucial moment. Childhood and adolescence are defining chapters of life. During these years, young people are discovering who they are while navigating complex emotions and pressures. Yet, for many, this journey is shadowed by silent struggles.
Globally, half of all mental health conditions begin before the age of 14, and three-quarters before the mid-20s. One in seven adolescents between 10 and 19 lives with a mental health condition. Depression remains one of the leading causes of disability in young people, while suicide tragically stands as the third leading cause of death among adolescents in the Americas. Despite these realities, most children and adolescents in the Americas do not receive the support they need. Only 45% of countries have specific policies for child and adolescent mental health, leaving countless young people without the care or understanding they deserve.
Mental wellness is the foundation for learning, relationships, and hope. When adolescents are mentally healthy, they are more resilient, more confident, and better able to build meaningful connections. The ripple effects of their well-being strengthen families and schools, creating healthier, more compassionate, and more resilient communities.
The Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) remains steadfast in its commitment to nurturing this vision. Together with the Ministries of Health and Education, PAHO/WHO is advancing programs that place young people at the center of care. These include the development of a five-year plan for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, initiatives to improve mental health literacy in schools, and school-based activities that help students express, connect, and heal.
In selected schools across St. Catherine, in collaboration with the National Council on Drug Abuse, these efforts come to life through wellness gardens, art campaigns encouraging emotional expression, and the upcoming WHO/UNICEF “I Support My Friends” program. “I Support My Friends” is an initiative that strengthens peer support by building on the principles of psychological first aid. Together, these programs remind young people that they are not alone, that help is available, and that their feelings matter.
Still, our collective work is far from over. There remains a pressing need to expand the specialized workforce in child and adolescent mental health and to close the gaps in service delivery.
As we commemorate World Mental Health Day 2025, let us come together as families, schools, communities, and as a nation to remind every young person that their lives have value and meaning. Together, we can empower, connect, and care— creating a future where every child and adolescent has the chance not just to survive but to thrive.
