UNICEF
Co-creating a youth-centered vision to inform a new national mental health agenda in Nigeria
WHAT?
In partnership with the UNICEF Office of Innovation and the Nigeria Country Office, Dalberg Design co-created a vision for youth-centered mental health systems in the country, identifying local innovations and outlining the strategic roles both UNICEF offices (OI and CO) could play in bringing this vision to reality. This work supported UNICEF launch the “Transforming Mental Health for Adolescents” work and mobilize the Nigerian ecosystem towards adoption a mental health systems innovation during the Third Nigeria Conference on Adolescent and Youth Health and Development – EKO 2023.
WHY?
Youth mental health is a pressing global concern, transcending borders and economic divisions. In low- and middle-income countries like Nigeria, access to mental health services remains minimal due to a shortage of professionals and persistent stigma. At the same time the impacts of climate change, recent global pandemic, and political crises have forced many young people prematurely into adulthood, affecting their mental health. Additionally, the pervasive influence of social media exacerbates these issues, fostering a sense of shame regarding income and social status.
Comprehensive national mental health policies and programs are urgently needed, but to effectively reach youth, a profound understanding of their diverse experiences within their specific contexts is essential. Nigeria enacted its first mental health act in 2021 that aims to protect and promote the lives and rights of those with mental illnesses, but as the country prepares for its implementation, including youth's including youth perspectives in shaping a comprehensive mental health system is essential to ensure future services can effectively reach and support them.
OUTCOME
The emergent insights and recommendations from the co-creation work done with Nigerian youth and key ecosystem players helped us collaboratively craft a vision for a youth-centered national mental health system, identify local innovations to support this vision, and define strategic roles for UNICEF's offices to support implementation in alignment with Nigeria’s new mental health act.
Additionally, alongside UNICEF we presented our insights from this work and the youth-centered vision of the future of mental health at the Third Nigeria Conference on Adolescent and Youth Health and Development – EKO 2023. This event included youth groups, decision-makers, donors, civil society organizations, and mental health practitioners, all deliberating on the potential impact of a new youth-centric mental health system.
DURATION
2 months, 2023
LOCATION
Nigeria
MY ROLE
Project Lead
Led Design Research
Led Creative Facilitation sessions
Conference presenter
TEAM
Emma Eriksson
Arushi Malhotra
Dhyani Parekh
Sandra Waihuini
LINKS
HOW?
Our approach to solving this question, involved 3 short phases: (1) Planning and preparation, (2) Consultation and co-creation, and (3) Vision crafting.
In the planning and preparation phase, we reviewed the Nigerian Mental Health Act, IDIA’s Systems Innovation Exploration Framework, and previous Dalberg work on global mental health innovations. We also identified an expert community advisor to support the development of the co-creation materials and create a safe space for youth participation.
During consultation and co-cocreation, we conducted a three-week HCD research sprint, facilitating co-creation sessions with Nigerian youth and system stakeholders. Our expert community advisor accompanied youth during sessions, providing a channel for them to ask questions or stop the session if desired.
The sessions where anchored on 3 modular activities:
- Current system mapping: Using the Transforming Mental Health for Youth ecosystem as a base, stakeholders discussed how the system aligns with the current Nigerian landscape and identified additional elements for a more accurate picture of mental health in the country.
- Community mapping: Youth mapped the people, places, organizations, products, and services around them and in their communities, organizing them according to how much they could trust them when reaching out for help.
- Visioning a future system: Participants ideated an ideal future mental health system for Nigeria, defining its goals, key players, and enabling factors.
During the vision crafting stage, in partnership with our expert community advisor, we synthesized the collected stories and data to describe the current mental health system according to Nigerian stakeholders and youth. We outlined the future of mental health as envisioned by Nigerian youth and identified the roles that UNICEF and other national innovations could play in bringing this vision to reality.
