However, during these workshops, men often start by drawing football jerseys or their favorite teams, the doctor explained. Soon, these drawings become conversations about everyday anxieties, showing how sport can open doors that traditional discussions about mental health often can’t.
“On the ground, absolutely no one wins alone“, said Dr Al Nahari. “Players depend on an entire ecosystem – defenders, midfielders, coaches, doctors and fans in the stands – who all play an important role. When we address youth mental health, we need exactly the same ecosystem.”
Speaking alongside UN Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Felipe Paullier at UN Headquarters on Tuesday, Dr Al Nahari highlighted how sport can improve the mental health of young people and reduce stigma.
On Friday, just two days before the men’s World Cup final, across the river from Midtown Manhattan in New Jersey, the United Nations Youth Office will host young leaders, policymakers, civil society members, athletes and more. celebrating football as a catalyst for youth mental health.
The event is part of the Youth Bureau’s flagship initiative on youth mental health and wellbeing, which aims to move the conversation beyond clinical responses.
Youth struggles
In February, a UN report found that one in seven people aged 10 to 19 suffer from a mental health problem75 percent of mental health problems in adults were already present by their mid-20s, and depression among adolescents and young adults has increased in recent years.
He noted that youth mental health is strongly influenced by a wide range of inequalities and social determinants – including education, employment, family dynamics, poverty, technology and societal attitudes – all of which require cross-sectoral policies to address.
“Young people are navigating a very complex world with very unpredictable changes in terms of digital disruption, economic uncertainty, consequences of armed conflict, displacement and social isolation,” Mr Paullier said.
Accordingly, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends interventions that build resilience, improve alternatives to risky behaviors, integrate multiple delivery methods, and promote supportive social environments.
One of these interventions is youth participation in sports.
Mental game
The same report found that playing team sports is associated with lower rates of depression and anxietyregardless of country, but that many young people face barriers to meaningful participation in sport.
As the number one sport in the world, according to the Youth Office football can strengthen belonging and social connection, strengthen emotional resilience and promote inclusion and collective well-being.
“We believe that football and sport are powerful messengers, not only because of what they represent when they connect people, but we know that football legends can be powerful messengers in transforming narratives,” Mr Paullier said.
Both speakers underlined that football is unique because it constitutes a universal language which gives young people a feeling of belonging.
Dr Al Nahari stressed that young people are already developing effective solutions to support each other’s mental health, and it is the duty of the UN and the international community to listen to them and become productive partners with them.
“The most important actors are the young people themselves,” she said. “They don’t wait to be saved.”
Football is not enough
Friday’s ‘One World, One Match, One Goal’ event showcases football’s ability to tackle social isolation, but it is just one example of the UN’s multi-sectoral approach to tackling the mental health of young people around the world.
For example, WHO and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) provide evidence-based frameworks to help governments implement effective psychosocial support programs in schools through the Helping Adolescents Thrive (HAT) initiative.
“We don’t want to just use sport,” Mr. Paullier said. “We want to meet young people where they are. »
In addition to UN efforts to raise awareness of youth mental health and support implementation programs, Paullier said the world must do a better job playing a supporting role in financing.
Most countries spend less than two percent of their annual health budget on mental health, creating a financing gap of 200 billion dollarsAccording to the WHO.
“Behind these figures, there are in reality millions of young people who carry pain that is often invisible, unexpressed and unsupported,” said Mr. Paullier.
