Mental health and obesity among key challenges faced by young people
Adolescents across the globe are facing increasing mental health challenges, obesity rates, exposure to violence and environmental challenges, a landmark report has revealed.
Including experts from Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) and the University of Melbourne, the 2025 Lancet Commission on Adolescent Health and Wellbeing, showed investment in adolescents’ health and wellbeing doesn’t match the scale of the problems faced by young people.
Bringing together 44 Commissioners and 10 Youth Commissioners, the Commission stated while adolescents make up 24 per cent of the population (about two billion people), they receive just 2.4 per cent of global development and health funding. By 2030, more than half of adolescents will be living in countries where their demographic experiences an excess burden of complex disease.
The report revealed how supporting young people’s health and wellbeing could improve economic, social and public health for generations to come. Professor Susan Sawyer, who leads Centre for Adolescent Health, a partnership between MCRI, The Royal Children’s Hospital and the University, said, “The findings are alarming and they demand urgent action and accountability, in collaboration with adolescents, to create safer spaces and meaningful change.” But Professor Sawyer said lack of national leadership around adolescent health remained a major barrier to overcoming the challenges.
“A common myth is that adolescents are healthy and therefore don’t need health services,” she said. “Yet our findings show that in every country, adolescents need access to responsive health services that can confidentially identify and respond to their emerging health needs.”