Understanding and Tackling the Gendered Drivers of Poor Adolescent Mental Health

This paper attempts to provide a starting point for discussion about what is currently known about the connections among gender, adolescence and mental health, and to provide some initial considerations to help guide a research and program agenda moving forward. It begins with a broad discussion of gender and health during adolescence, then turns more specifically to what is known about gender and mental health in this important life phase. It then highlights some existing interventions, poses imperatives for future work, and draws conclusions for further consideration. Building off of this paper, YouthPower Learning developed a conceptual framework and conducted additional analyses on the topic of gender and mental health.

I'm Here: Adolescent Girls in Emergencies

I’m Here is an operational approach for humanitarian actors to reach the most vulnerable adolescent girls, and to be accountable to their safety, health, and well-being from the start of a response to crisis. From the start of an emergency, I’m Here enables humanitarians to engaging girls in their own solutions, ensuring effective programs and protected rights. It has been field tested by several organizations in more than 25 communities across six crisis-affected countries. Displaced adolescent girls face unique and daunting risks. With limited assets, agency, and mobility, girls cannot access life-saving resources, information, and social networks. Their vulnerability is compounded by a default, one-size-fits-all humanitarian approach. I’m Here provides humanitarians with the steps and field tools to: 1) Proactively identify girls; 2) Assess their needs; 3) Build effective programs. I’m Here is adaptable to varying on-the-ground situations. It has been field tested by several organizations in more than 25 communities across six crisis-affected countries."

Navigating the Intersection Between Gender and Adolescent Mental Health

On behalf of GenDev, YouthPower Learning made two presentations related to the project's adolescent mental health research. This resource contains the slide deck from the presentation to USAID’s mental health working group on "Navigating the Intersection between Gender and Adolescent Mental Health". The presentation's objectives were: uo understand the relationship between gender and adolescent mental health, and to discuss priorities for research and programmatic action to improve adolescent mental health by focusing on gender.