Youth mental health

There is a silent pandemic of worsening youth mental health nationally and globally. Our work is seeking to understand the causal factors and broader determinants and what can be done to improve youth wellbeing.
03.06.2026  

Social media age restrictions – the case for an evaluation framework

A social media age restriction policy may help address some of the risks young people face online and cannot do the job on its own....

Recent


Group of multiracial teen college friends having fun outdoors. Happy people taking selfie.
03.06.2026  
Social media age restrictions – the case for an evaluation framework
A social media age restriction policy may help address some of the risks young people face online and cannot do the job on its own. To make a meaningful difference, the policy needs to be...

Teenage school friends smiling to camera, close up
06.11.2025  
Webinar: Understanding and addressing youth mental distress in Aotearoa New Zealand
Join us for a webinar on Thursday13 November at 12.30pm to discuss the findings of two new reports and their implications for Aotearoa New Zealand’s youth mental health policy.

31.10.2025  
No quick fixes: dual research calls for long-term action on youth mental health
Two new reports from Koi Tū Centre for Informed Futures reveal the need for long-term, coordinated action to address New Zealand’s youth mental health crisis.

Group of multiracial teen college friends having fun outdoors. Happy people taking selfie.
31.10.2025  
Addressing youth mental distress in Aotearoa New Zealand
Globally, youth mental health challenges are rising. Within Aotearoa New Zealand, our young people aged 15-24 are reporting rates of psychological distress higher than any other age group.

Four happy friends at sunset beach party run to the water
31.10.2025  
Pathways to wellbeing: A youth-led exploration of mental health in Aotearoa New Zealand
Young people in Aotearoa New Zealand, like their peers around the world, are experiencing declining mental health and wellbeing.

Close up of woman hands using laptop checking smart phone at night at home
10.10.2025  
Submission on Young New Zealanders and Online Harm
Koi Tū recently made a written submission to the Education and Workforce Committee inquiry into online harm to young New Zealanders and how government, business, and society can address it.

A group of children playing on a trampoline with a forest background
30.05.2025  
Growing anxious – are preschoolers matched to their futures?
If we want to break the epidemic of mental health concerns in young people we have to focus on the beginning of life.

More

Our themes