Youth Wellbeing Network
We are pleased to launch the Youth Wellbeing Network, a global network of policymakers, practitioners, researchers and youth supporting a holistic approach to young people’s psychosocial wellbeing, care and support. For updates, visit our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/YWellbeingNet/ and join our group to share information about events, resources and to network: https://www.facebook.com/groups/YWellbeingNet/.
Despite increased awareness of young people’s mental health needs, interventions that target their psychosocial wellbeing remain largely medicalised. In reality, young people’s wellbeing is often tied to that of their family, relationships with their peers and resource constraints within communities. By recognising and engaging the complex social dynamics that surround young people, the psychosocial approach to wellbeing can have significant positive impacts on their social lives, educational outcomes and future potential.
Ruth Evans, University of Reading, Fiona Samuels, ODI and Morten Skovdal, University of Copenhagen co-convened a public event, “A Holistic Approach to Young People’s Psychosocial Wellbeing”and workshop for policymakers and practitioners, “Putting the ‘Social’ back into Young People’s Psychosocial Wellbeing, Care and Support”, hosted by ODI, London in November 2016. Both events explored different approaches to young people’s psychosocial wellbeing in the Global South, and shared good practice in advancing support for young people, families and communities. The events were timed to coincide with International Children’s Grief Awareness Day (17 Nov.) and Children’s Grief Awareness Week UK, raising awareness of bereaved children and young people and providing an opportunity to explore learning from the Global North and South.
Speakers included:
- Richard Boden, Disability Team, Department for International Development
- Dr. Fiona Samuels, Senior Research Fellow, ODI
- Dr. Ruth Evans, Associate Professor, University of Reading
- Lynette Mudekunye, Acting Chief Executive Officer, REPSSI
- Alison Penny, Co-ordinator, UK Childhood Bereavement Network
To watch the video of event, including presentations, discussants’ comments and questions and responses to the audience, please click here.
For Ruth’s slide presentation at the public event, please click here.
Click here for the workshop programme. Presentations are available to download below:
Pressures, ‘troubles’ and changes in young people’s everyday lives
- Fiona Samuels, ODI: ‘If we lose our friends, we’re done’: mental health and psychosocial wellbeing amongst children and young people in Viet Nam
- Ruth Evans, University of Reading: Young People’s Experiences of a Family Death: Bereavement and Care in Urban Senegal
- Gina Crivello and Patricia Espinoza, Young Lives, University of Oxford: Tracing Young People’s Wellbeing, Care and Support in Contexts of Orphanhood in Ethiopia
Policy and practice responses that work with the ‘social’ in young people’s psychosocial wellbeing
- Lynette Mudekunye, Acting Chief Executive Officer, REPSSI: Enabling School (Psychosocial) Environments promote Social Connections for Young People
- Karin Tengnäs, Child Protection Advisor, Save the Children Denmark: Stronger together – Children’s and Youth Resilience Programmes
- Alison Penny, Coordinator, Childhood Bereavement Network: Children facing Bereavement in the Global North: the Social Context.
The events were funded by the University of Reading and hosted by ODI, London.
