Global - The UN just released two major reports on youth mental health and what stands out most is who they listened to.

Global - The UN just released two major reports on youth mental health and what stands out most is who they listened to. The World Youth Report on Youth Mental Health and Well-being doesn't just cite statistics. It centers lived experience. Young people across all regions were consulted through surveys, focus groups, and interviews - and their voices shaped the findings. The message coming through is clear: mental health isn't just a clinical issue. It's a social one. As UN Youth Delegate Jorina Kaminski put it: structural inequalities are the root causes of distress - discrimination, poverty, unequal access to education. And Cevor Tikerpuu reminded us that "an ideal world is not where every person is in therapy, but rather where the physical environment nurtures our mental well-being." This is exactly the argument that lived experience expertise has been making for years. When we involve people with firsthand knowledge in the design of policies and interventions - not as token voices, but as genuine co-producers of insight - the solutions get closer to the actual problem. The report calls for preventive, community-based, and youth-responsive approaches. That only works when those with lived experience are at the table from the start. Worth reading for anyone working at the intersection of mental health, digital interventions, and participatory design.