2025_09_02 A Call for Action for Adolescent Health and Wellbeing Karolinska Institutet
Social Affairs and Public Health Minister Jakob Forssmed attended an international seminar on adolescent mental health and wellbeing at the Karolinska Institutet on October 16, 2023. This event celebrated the launch of “A Call to Action for Adolescent Mental Health and Wellbeing,” the second report from the Lancet Commission on Adolescent Health and Wellbeing. The seminar, held at the Nobel Forum, brought together researchers, policymakers, youth representatives, and leaders from prestigious organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and the Gates Foundation.
In her opening address, Annika Östman Wernerson, President of Karolinska Institutet, emphasized the importance of intersectoral collaboration in addressing the increasing health challenges facing young people. She quoted a well-known saying, “It takes a village to raise a child but also a village to save a child,” expressing pride in KI’s role in this collective effort. She highlighted two urgent priorities identified in the Lancet Commission’s report: the rising rates of adolescent obesity and the growing burden of mental disorders and suicide.
“If we don’t act differently, more young people will be overweight and obese, and more healthy years will be lost due to mental disorders,” she warned. “We need to do more and we need to do it differently.”
Minister Forssmed delivered a poignant address regarding the deep sense of loneliness experienced by many young individuals today. He quoted Swedish author Sara Lidman, stating, “A skerry of togetherness in a sea of loneliness.” Forssmed posed the critical question of how society can provide adolescents with support and connection. He asserted, “Mental health is not just an individual problem – it’s a societal problem. And it demands a massive societal response.”
The minister presented the government’s ten-year strategy for mental health and suicide prevention, which involves collaboration among 20 government agencies, including those not typically associated with health, such as the Transport Administration.
Martin Bergö, Vice President of KI, stressed the need for a youth-centered approach. “We need to change the way we work together and adopt a more youth-centered approach,” he stated. The seminar recognized the active involvement of young people in drafting the report, with ten youth commissioners contributing their perspectives and expertise.
Panel discussions featured notable figures, including Aparajita Ramakrishnan, Director of Family Planning at the Gates Foundation, along with representatives from the Public Health Agency of Sweden and UNICEF Sweden. Ramakrishnan highlighted that adolescent health and wellbeing represent not just a transition but a transformative period that can significantly impact lives. She particularly underscored the urgency of investing in sexual and reproductive health and rights, commending Sweden for establishing a global standard in this area.
In her remarks, President Östman Wernerson acknowledged the crucial support from industrialist Carl Bennet, whose funding made the seminar and related research possible. “Without Carl Bennet’s engagement, all this important work that’s being done would not be possible,” she noted.
The seminar marked a significant advancement in implementing the recommendations outlined in the Lancet report. Many speakers emphasized the necessity of maintaining momentum to improve adolescent health outcomes. Future efforts will focus on strengthening collaborations, evaluating projects, and enhancing young people’s participation in research and policy development, both nationally and internationally.
This event underscores a collective commitment to addressing the pressing health challenges faced by young people, ensuring that their voices are heard and their needs prioritized.
