United Nations Event Creates Call to Action for Youth Mental Health Crisis
*NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / April 15, 2024 / *April 3rd marked a significant milestone in the global dialogue on child and youth mental health. Romania, along with Canada, Indonesia, Kuwait, Mexico, Qatar, WHO, UN Youth Office, and UNICEF, organized an unprecedented event that convened member states, international organizations, experts, specialists, NGOs, and specialized associations. This collaborative effort targeted a crucial demographic, highlighting the paramount importance of addressing mental health issues among children and young people.
Led by Ambassador H.E. Cornel FERUTA of Romania, the event, titled "Mental Health of Children and Young People: How Can We Do Better?", featured insightful keynotes by distinguished figures Andrew Solomon and Devora Kestel. Their contributions underscored the critical nature of youth mental health and the imperative for global action.
Mental health significantly influences emotional, intellectual, physical, and social well-being. It shapes individuals' thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, influences their ability to manage stress, cultivate relationships, and make life-altering decisions. Particularly for children and young people, mental health holds immense significance, with untreated conditions potentially leading to adverse effects in adulthood. Shockingly, 50% of mental health conditions manifest before the age of 14, underscoring the urgency of interventions to ensure both physical and mental well-being and to provide opportunities for fulfilling lives.
Kathryn Goetzke, Chief Hope Officer and CEO of The Shine Hope Company and founder of the International Foundation for Research and Education on Hope (iFred), delivered a compelling address at the United Nations event (comments at 1:49). Goetzke emphasized the pivotal role of hope as a protective factor against anxiety, depression, addiction, and suicide. "We were never taught what hopelessness is and how to get to hope. So I'd like to suggest teaching Hope as a strategy for Mental Health prevention and interventions. Hopelessness predicts risky behaviors such as youth violence, addiction, and self-harm, yet we were never taught what it is and how to get to hope," said Goetzke, stressing the urgent need to instill hope in youth, particularly in challenging times, and that with 57% of teen girls persistently hopeless, all must be taught these skills.
The Shine Hope Company, iFred and Walmart hosted an event in 2023 with researchers and advocates to showcase why we need an International Day of Hope. The aim of passing a resolution for this day is to foster global solidarity by sharing the science, stories, and strategies of hope in lives and communities worldwide. Hope is teachable.
You can support by encouraging your leaders to support the resolution. Urge local leaders, mayors, governors, schools, and your UN Country Ambassador to issue proclamations declaring their support for the International Day of Hope. Together, we can make a difference and spread hope to every corner of the globe. Visit www.internationaldayofhope.org to learn more about how you can activate hope in your city or community.
*About The Shine Hope™ Company:*
The Shine Hope Company empowers individuals by teaching scientifically informed and evidence-based methods to cultivate hope through workplace activations, public health campaigns, educational resources, courses, training, keynotes, and consulting. The Shine Hope Company manages all programming for Shine Hope, Hopeful Minds, Hopeful Cities, and Hopeful Mindsets, and supports the work of iFred to deliver activations to vulnerable populations. Visit www.theshinehopecompany.com to find out more.
*About iFred:*
iFred, the International Foundation for Research and Education on Hope, a 501(c)3 organization established in 2004, works to shine a positive light on mental health and eliminate stigma through prevention, research, and education. iFred is a pioneer in teaching hope as a learnable skill, and activates Hopeful Cities in areas with a poverty rate of 20% or more, and the Hopeful Minds Programs in school districts where at least 20 percent of the children they serve come from families with incomes below the poverty line. iFred also works in all low and middle-income countries. Learn more at www.ifred.org.
*About International Day of Hope:*
The International Day of Hope aims to promote global solidarity by sharing hope science, stories, and strategies worldwide. Advocating for its establishment through a United Nations resolution, this initiative kicks off a five-day campaign featuring various activities to nurture hope in communities globally, and programs for parents and kids to understand the ‘how' to hope. Find out more at www.internationaldayofhope.org.
*Media Contact:*
For media inquiries, please contact:
Anna Termulo Montances
anna@theshinehopecompany.com
734-355-6716
*SOURCE: *The Shine Hope Company
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