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.
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.

Recent


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.

Teenage school friends smiling to camera, close up
17.04.2025  
Adolescence and the digital disconnect
Adolescence raises questions about the dangers of a digital disconnect between adults and young people. Is there a gap, and how do we bridge it?

Out of focus aerial shot of a crowd of people walking in a city.
10.04.2025  
Dr Seungyeon Kim on youth theft
Seungyeon Kim, a research fellow at Koi Tū Centre for Informed Futures, says the reasons driving young people into stealing branded items could be complex.

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