In the wake of the COVID-19 global pandemic the mental health of young people around the world has never been a higher priority. In fact, it has become the “shadow pandemic”. In the decade prior to the pandemic the world witnessed a steady decline in the mental health of young people in transition from childhood to mature adulthood, covering the age range from 12-25 years. This prompted a search for answers and also helping responses which stimulated a wave of innovation in holistic models of care for young people which could safely engage young people and offer enhanced primary mental health care alongside interventions targeting other key needs such as vocational and drug and alcohol support. At a macro level we also witnessed the creation of a very new multidisciplinary field of youth mental health, which is crucial to addressing this major public health challenge of our times.

Young people already bear the major burden of onset of mental ill-health across the lifespan with 50% of the burden of disease in the 12-25-year age group being made up of mental and substance use disorders. Equally, more than fifty per cent of young people experience mental ill health at some point during these years. Seventy-five per cent of mental disorders emerge before the age of 25 years and is the major threat to life and fulfillment for young people and a cohesive and productive society. The pandemic unleashed an additional wave of 25% of new cases of anxiety and depression in 2020 alone, and young people were especially hard hit.