Mental health challenges are a reality for many young people, with one in seven experiencing a mental disorder. Despite their prevalence, discussing mental health challenges is often difficult, and many feel alone or unable to speak up.

For Mental Health Awareness Month, VoiceBox proudly joined up with mental health organisation Speak Our Minds to create a global mental health campaign, designed to get young people talking about ‘why they struggle’ and ‘what helps’.

Speak Our Minds is an organisation dedicated to ending the youth mental health crisis by making sure every young person can access high-quality mental health care when they need it. They bring together providers, payors, parents, experts, elected officials and business entities to champion accessible mental health care, pushing for better support, awareness, and solutions for young people’s mental health challenges.

At VoiceBox, we champion youth voices around the world, working with young people in over 50 countries to amplify their experiences and perspectives, especially on important issues like mental health.

#WhyWeStruggle #WhatHelps

The campaign, titled #WhyWeStruggle and #WhatHelps, invited young people from the VoiceBox community to create short-form videos for social media. These videos shared personal experiences about mental health challenges and the strategies that help them cope.

Public discussions about mental health often focus on problems rather than solutions, and young people’s voices are frequently left out, especially amongst decision-makers. Our campaign aimed to change that by passing the mic and giving them a platform to share their stories and advice directly with their peers.

A group of twenty-two young people from the VoiceBox community took part, and given an open-ended brief, they were able to freely discuss their personal experiences and share unique tips and coping strategies. 

The videos were shared across VoiceBox and Speak Our Minds’ platforms, as well as participants’ own social media accounts, helping the campaign reach a broad and diverse audience.

Key Insights

One theme that reappeared throughout the campaign was anxiety, with almost all participants saying they struggle with it in some way, including school and climate anxiety.

Practical steps like accessing therapy and trying meditation were mentioned, as well as small things like running a bath and checking in with friends.

“I’d show up, but deep down I didn’t feel present or ok” – Angela, VoiceBox Community Member, Philippines

Other participants touched on self-acceptance and minority stress within the LGBTQIA+ community, with advice to practice mindfulness, exercise and stay away from substances.

“I struggled to accept my identity as a gay person for a very long time, which led to a lot of alienation within my own body” – Cameron, VoiceBox Community Member, UK

Journaling, making music, reading, getting outside, and enjoying a hot beverage were some of the other coping mechanisms endorsed by participants. 

“We definitely need to be kinder to ourselves” – Alleya, VoiceBox Community Member, UK

It was encouraging to see so many accessible, no-cost activities for young people to try, especially at a time when mental health resources are limited.

Final Thoughts

We want to say a huge thank you to everyone who participated in this campaign. Your willingness to share your stories has made a real difference, raising awareness and offering support to others who might be facing similar challenges. It’s been a privilege to partner with Speak Our Minds to bring this campaign to life!

You can see all the videos for this campaign in the playlist below:

If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, please visit our resources page, where you’ll find organisations that are there to listen and help.