It is widely acknowledged that at any given time 10 - 20% of adolescents are dealing with a mental health problem globally, and 50% of mental health problems are thought to have their start by age 14. Suicide is the third leading cause of death in later adolescence. Promoting psychological wellbeing in children and adolescents can help them combat adversity and equip them with the tools and skills for good mental health throughout their adult life. While the importance of this developmental period is increasingly recognized as a critical time for intervention, there are few Caribbean interventions which focus on centering youth.

Our Caribbean Youth Mental Health Champions project seeks to empower Caribbean youth to express themselves and to raise awareness of mental health in the Caribbean region especially during times of crisis. Funded by a grant from the Clara Lionel Foundation, the project aims to develop a growing community of youth mental health advocates who can participate in spaces for them and by them and to encourage and facilitate the healthy expression of mental health and ameliorate mental health symptoms through creative and diverse outlets. This was done through two sub-projects: Youth Art in times of COVID-19 and Teen Mental Health Influencers.