Youth voices take the floor in Congress

Brasília – Young people are capable of driving profound change in their communities. When given the chance they can play an active role in debates about the issues that most affect their lives. That was the central message of discussions held August 12 in Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies on International Youth Day, organized by Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Global Center for Child and Adolescent Mental Health at the Child Mind Institute through a local initiative, Junto, in partnership with the Brazilian Congressional Caucus on the Promotion of Mental Health, the Secretary for Infancy, Adolescence, and Youth of the Chamber of Deputies, and the Institute for Health Policy Studies (IEPS).

The first roundtable at the event in Brazil, “The National Youth Policy in Dialogue with Parliament,” studied Brazil’s current youth legislation and the intersection of mental health, inclusion, and environmental sustainability. The final session titled, “Youth Mental Health in Perspective,” featured youth advocates, health professionals, and grassroots leaders. It focused on youth-led initiatives in the mental health care space.

“Youth can and must have a seat at the decision-making table. And for our contribution to be meaningful, we must listen to those on the front lines; we must be bold enough to claim our space and humble enough to know that we, young people, can always learn more,” said Ana Beatriz Goyanna of Junto’s Youth Council, who moderated one of the roundtables on the role of mental well-being in national youth policy. In her remarks, she emphasized that despite challenges, young people continue to chart new paths for transformation.

The SNF Global Center Junto Youth Council is a structured group of young Brazilian advocates representing all national regions focused on community action, dialogue, policy advocacy, and research to inspire government action and behavior change.

“What drives me is the pursuit of how we can better protect the mental health of Brazil’s children and young people. Our Youth Council brings public-school students from every region of Brazil into policy discussions, bringing the classroom into Congress and watching youth-led ideas inspire real change,” said Ms. Goyanna.

“Young people with mental health conditions should be treated with the same attention as those with cancer — mental health is not whining,” said Deputy Tabata Amaral, who stressed the urgent need for more psychologists in schools and greater equity in access to care.

Two major papers published in the Stanford Social Innovation Review Brasil, were also launched during the event. The first is produced by IEPS and the second is co-authored by experts from the SNF Global Center at the Child Mind Institute, offering new evidence-based insights into how children and adolescents’ mental health can be better supported in schools. This expert team includes Giovanni Abrahão Salum, MD, PhD (Senior Vice-President of Global Programs), Carolina Martins Costa, MS (Brazil Country Manager), Julia Schäfer, PhD (Program Manager of Clinical and Psychosocial Interventions), and Caio Casella (Clinical Data Analyst).

Eduardo Vasconcelos, Director of Youth Engagement at SNF Global Center, emphasized the “boom in scientific production on mental health since 2010,” but pointed out that the data is still not being generated with youth participation. He insisted: “It is necessary to incorporate young people’s voices into the process of producing science on mental health.”

About the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Global Center for Child and Adolescent Mental Health at the Child Mind Institute

The SNF Global Center brings together the Child Mind Institute’s expertise as a leading independent nonprofit in children’s mental health and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF)’s deep commitment to supporting collaborative projects to improve access to quality healthcare worldwide. The Global Center is building partnerships to drive advances in under-researched areas of children and adolescents’ mental health, and expand access to culturally appropriate training, resources, and treatment in low and middle-income countries. This work is conducted by the Child Mind Institute with support from SNF through its Global Health Initiative (GHI).

About the Institute for Health Policy Studies (IEPS)

The Institute for Health Policy Studies (IEPS) is a non-profit organization that aims to contribute to the improvement of public health policies in Brazil.

About Juntô

Juntô is dedicated to strengthening mental health systems for young people and improving outcomes through training, expanding access to care, and evidence-based solutions. The initiative leads and supports intercultural partnerships and promotes solutions driven by young people themselves. This initiative is supported by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) as part of its Global Health Initiative (GHI), in collaboration with the Child Mind Institute (CMI).