As part of its commitment to promoting mental health as a crucial aspect of overall well-being, UnitedGMH and the Being Initiative have organised a concurrent session titled "Young Mothers' Mental Health: Understanding and Addressing Their Needs." The session aims to raise awareness about the specific mental health challenges faced by young mothers and highlight the importance of addressing their unique needs.

Mental health conditions are a leading cause of disability globally in children and young people. Around 1 in 5 of the world’s children and adolescents have a mental health condition, with half beginning by age 14 and three-quarters by their mid-20s. Up to 90% of mental health needs are unmet in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

This gap between mental health needs and services to address them has a huge impact on not only young mothers (and fathers) but their children: 

• An estimated 15–23% of children live with a parent with a mental health condition.
• Young mothers are at the highest risk of developing pre- and postpartum depression, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This impacts them and their children.
• Children whose caregivers have mental health conditions may be at risk of developing mental health conditions themselves. And it can impact birth weight, growth, and development.
• Parental mental health impacts early child development from the very start of life. When children (from newborns to adolescents) are exposed to multiple stresses, their physical and mental health, social development, and educational attainment can be impaired.

Therefore, the concurrent session scheduled for July 18 from 15.30 to 17.00 provides an opportunity to hear from speakers from organisations on these issues in different LMICs (represented by She Writes Woman and Mothers2Mothers). It also provides a platform for important funders of health programs (particularly the Global Fund and Being) to set out how they intend to address these challenges. For example, in the funding awarded by the Global Fund at the country level. Get to know our panellists here.  

“Our session serves as a platform to facilitate meaningful discussions, collaboration, and knowledge sharing among stakeholders, with the ultimate goal of influencing policy and advocating for comprehensive mental health support for young mothers globally. By sharing knowledge and best practices in supporting young mothers' mental health, including innovative interventions and community-based initiatives, we hope to inspire others at the conference to also take action.” Sarah Kline, co-founder and CEO, UnitedGMH

“Young mothers and fathers are often hit by the stressful situation of becoming parents without there being support for their mental health. They can fall through the cracks of the health system, whether they are thought to be children or adults. It is critical that their needs are taken into account. For us, this means making sure they are meaningfully included in the Being landscaping work currently underway, so their priorities are reflected in future implementation projects. We need to ensure their perspectives and issues are heard, and we have the right data that shows their needs.” Aline Cossy-Gantner - Chief Development Officer, Fondation Botnar

About UnitedGMH: UnitedGMH is a global collaborative organisation that aims to create a world where mental health is valued, promoted, and protected. The organisation works to catalyse global action, advocate for increased investment, and drive policy change to ensure mental health is prioritised on national and international agendas. For more information, visit https://unitedgmh.org/.

About Being: The Being Initiative is a new adolescent mental health fund and advocacy initiative, to encourage stakeholders from the 13 priority countries of the initiative to get involved and donors to join the effort to advance youth mental health around the world.

For media inquiries and further information, please contact: Faith@unitedgmh.org