Youth leadership in mental health: Views from EFPT and IFMSA

Abstract

The world today is more challenging than ever before. Discrimination, stigma, and ever-changing lifestyles are just a few examples of elements that have a profound impact on the mental health status of our global population. Even though the burden of mental illness is well documented and increasing, mental health remains a neglected area of health worldwide.

Youth Associations, like the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA) and the European Federation of Psychiatric Trainees (EFPT) recognize the importance of tackling this problem, taking an active role on promoting education in our communities, tackling stigma and advocating for more action. Medical students worldwide, from Slovenia, Australia, Lebanon, Brazil, Quebec and Grenada – among at least 42 other countries, organise expansive, creative and engaging mental health projects.

With particular interest we can mention the winner of the last Rex Crossley Award, attributed to a Slovenian project ‘in Reflection’: a suicide prevention project, which tackles the different factors associated with vulnerable groups through a series of workshops and campaigns that seek to destigmatize the mental health problems and offer the opportunity to high school students to get the help they need.

This talk will give an insight into strengths, weaknesses and challenges faced by youth in tackling mental health, specially in the role of the IFMSA, displaying some of our most interesting and innovative projects from future mental health leaders around the world, together with the initiatives of EFPT.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.