Mental Health among Youth in Timor Leste

Mental Health Among Youth in Timor-Leste

The ASEAN Youth Forum is dedicated to tackling important issues faced by young people across Southeast Asia. In 2023, the AYF Secretariat conducted research to understand how youth view their well-being. The study found that health is a key factor in young people’s welfare, with mental health being especially important to their overall well-being.

The World Health Organization reports that, in 2019, one in eight people worldwide—970 million—lived with a mental health condition. However, mental health accounts for only 2% of global health budgets (WHO, 2022). This low investment shows that mental health is still not a top priority in many countries, despite growing discussions around its importance.

In Southeast Asia, Timor-Leste has been granted observer status in ASEAN, with plans to join as the 11th member. To better understand young people’s concerns about mental health in Timor-Leste, the ASEAN Youth Forum worked with Gen Z Talk, a platform that allows youth to share their views on political, economic, and social issues in the country.

This research reflects the ASEAN Youth Forum’s commitment to data-driven advocacy. It aims to raise awareness about young people’s mental health concerns while offering recommendations for stakeholders. The goal is to enrich regional policies and discussions on mental health.

We hope this study will guide stakeholders in understanding and addressing mental health issues among youth in Timor-Leste. It is also intended to influence policies at the regional level.

For more details, check out our social media or download our publication to explore stories from young people in Timor-Leste. Don’t forget to see more of our activities at https://aseanyouthforum.org/