Digital Youth Prevention
Young people aged 10–24 make up approximately 25% of the global population (Gupta, 2014). This developmental period is particularly important because around 50% of mental disorders emerge before age 15, and up to 75% before age 25 (Kessler et al., 2005). Many lifelong mental health difficulties therefore begin in childhood or adolescence. When early symptoms are not addressed, they often persist into adulthood, affecting education, employment, and social functioning (McGorry et al., 2022).
The societal and economic impact of early-onset mental health problems is substantial. Mental ill-health is projected to cost the global economy up to $16 trillion by 2030, largely because conditions that start early continue to affect productivity across the working lifespan (McGorry et al., 2022). At the same time, demographic shifts mean older generations are retiring while young people face pressures linked to automation, globalization, and labor market instability (Young Australians, 2017; Rechel et al., 2009). Supporting the mental health of youth, who will make up the future workforce, is therefore essential for both social and economic stability.
Early prevention in childhood and adolescence is increasingly recognized as critical for reducing the long-term burden of mental health problems. Intervening early can strengthen emotional regulation, coping skills, and help-seeking behaviors before difficulties become chronic (McGorry et al., 2022). In recent years, digital interventions have emerged as a particularly promising approach to early prevention, as they can reach large numbers of young people in accessible, low-threshold formats that fit naturally into their daily lives (Rodriguez-Villa et al., 2020). When well designed, digital tools can complement traditional services by offering early support, psychoeducation, and guidance toward professional care.
Reflecting this shift, several international youth mental health services have integrated digital components into their care models to increase accessibility and reach. In Australia, headspace offers eheadspace, where young people can receive online or telephone counselling alongside digitally supported school programs. In Iceland, Bergid headspace combines in-person services with online counselling to reach youth outside Reykjavík. Similarly, the Netherlands’ @ease has introduced an online chat function to complement its walk-in centres, providing a low-threshold digital entry point. In Singapore, the Community Health Assessment Team (CHAT) employs webCHAT, an online screening tool that identifies early distress and connects young people to appropriate services (McGorry et al., 2022).
These examples show that digital services are not meant to replace face-to-face care but can extend reach, provide early support, and maintain continuity within broader youth mental health systems.
Reference:
Foundation for Young Australians. The new work order: ensuring young Australians have skills and experience for the jobs of the future, not the past. Melbourne: Foundation for Young Australians, 2017.
Gupta, M. D. (2014). State of world population 2014: the power of 1.8 billion: adolescents, youth and the transformation of the future. Unfpa.
Kessler, R. C., Berglund, P., Demler, O., Jin, R., Merikangas, K. R., & Walters, E. E. (2005). Lifetime prevalence and age-of-onset distributions of DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Archives of general psychiatry, 62(6), 593-602.
McGorry, P. D., Mei, C., Chanen, A., Hodges, C., Alvarez‐Jimenez, M., & Killackey, E. (2022). Designing and scaling up integrated youth mental health care. World Psychiatry, 21(1), 61-76.
Rechel, B., Doyle, Y., Grundy, E., & McKee, M. (2009). How can health systems respond to population ageing?.
Rodriguez-Villa, E., Naslund, J., Keshavan, M., Patel, V., & Torous, J. (2020). Making mental health more accessible in light of COVID-19: Scalable digital health with digital navigators in low and middle-income countries. Asian journal of Psychiatern, 54, 102433.
