Youth wellbeing in a Covid world
The Youth Empowerment Team put out an insights report in 2020 into the state of youth wellbeing in our current covid-impacted environment and key recommendations to support youth wellbeing. The full report is available here
Rangatahi of Tāmaki Makaurau /Auckland are experiencing unprecedented times, with many are facing increased employment challenges and mental distress. COVID-19, the lockdown and its fallout risk accelerating declining youth wellbeing and stretching the youth support system. A Youtline report found:
72% of all respondents agreed that COVID-19 and the Lockdown has had an impact on their mental health.
50% increase in the number of contacts from young people to Youthline round suicide, care and protection risks (Youthline, April 2020 )
Young people are concerned about the economic impact of the crisis on their families and communities. Young people are stepping up during lockdown, taking up jobs in essential services to support their whānau, (e.g. supermarkets, delivery drivers) and want to contribute to the economic response (The Southern Initiative, April 2020; World Vision International, 2020).
Organisations supporting young people have experienced an uptake in demand, and responded innovatively and flexibly, drawing heavily on already stretched resources. An Auckland Council report found:
51% of community services saw an increase in demand for their services
35% of community services reported that access to funding has reduced (Auckland Council, 2020b).
Global evidence around crises reveals that a sense of belonging and connectedness is the biggest predictor of how people fare in crisis. Those with strong connections to community and a sense of belonging are better able to manage their mental health and wellbeing (Ministry of Health, 2016). The experiences of youth in Aotearoa-New Zealand demonstrated that those who had the care and support of whānau, friends and the community, were better placed to manage their wellbeing (CAYAD Tāmaki Makaurau, 2020).
So what can we do to support our rangatahi:
1. Promote connection and belonging. Strengthening connection and belonging promotes wellbeing, increases resilience to future stressors or shocks, and builds cohesive and safe communities (Ministry of Health, 2016).
2. Provide opportunities for youth development. Participation in youth development opportunities promotes personal growth and mastery of necessary skills, behaviours, and tools for life, learning and work (Deane et al., 2019).
3. Support youth voice and action taking. Young peoples’ involvement in decision-making develops social connectedness, networks, social capital, identity and attachment, all of which can improve young people’s wellbeing and resilience to future shocks. Their participation in community recovery is integral to everyone’s wellbeing. Engaging young people in post-crisis recovery is itself a strong protective factor for positive wellbeing (Ministry of Health, 2016; World Vision International, 2020).
4. Support the youth support ecosystem. Investment in our youth support system is vital at this time. The organisations, groups and practitioners who support youth engagement and wellbeing are highly skilled in promoting youth wellbeing. However, they are dependent on resources from sources which are now reduced, jeopardizing their survival and risking loss of a highly skilled workforce (The Southern Initiative, 2020).