Mental Health Research Analysis

Contract

This is a UNV contract. More about UNV contracts.

There is an urgent need of promoting mental health and wellbeing, and severity of the global burden of mental health problems for children, adolescents, parents and caregivers. All children and adolescents are at risk of poor mental health outcomes. WHO’s Global Health Estimate from 2015 shows that up to one in five adolescents will experience a mental disorder each year, self-harm is the third leading cause of death for adolescents and depression is among the leading causes of disability. However, these risks are particularly acute for the most vulnerable children and families, for example those with disabilities, those facing violence, neglect and abuse in the home, or who live in humanitarian emergencies and low resource settings.

Much like regular health, children and adults experience mental health on a spectrum that ranges from are experiencing positive mental wellbeing to some mental health symptoms to disorder and psychosocial disability. The first and foremost step to address any mental health issue is to understand and recognize it and to create a supportive environment at home, in schools, in the community to tackle it.

Children’s and adolescents’ mental health can be promoted and protected, and therefore conditions can be treated. Awareness is growing about the need for holistic and community-based approaches to mental health care and psychosocial support, including promoting mental wellness, and approaches that address attitudes and behaviors that harm mental health. The safe and meaningful engagement and participation from children, adolescents, parents and caregivers and the wider community is central to ensure improved access to mental health and psychosocial support for all.

The online volunteer will be tasked with the following:

1. Conduct an in-depth review of reports and studies on child and adolescent mental health in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNICEF will provide key documents), identifying prevalent trends and challenges - with a particular focus on adolescent voices and opinions;
2. Synthesize information from various sources to create a concise overview of the current state of mental health among children and adolescents in the region;
3. Analyze the gathered data to identify gaps in current interventions, emphasizing areas where support for mental health is lacking;
4. Develop evidence-based recommendations for future UNICEF programming, considering the identified gaps and prioritizing areas for effective intervention.

• Background in child and adolescent mental health, public health, social sciences, or related fields.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to synthesize information from diverse sources.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.