This study examined how non-medical prescription opioid use (NMPOU) among youth aged 12–24 is linked to their health, social needs, and use of services within an integrated youth services network in British Columbia, Canada. Data from over 6,000 youth showed that 4% reported recent NMPOU. Youth who used prescription opioids non-medically were more likely to report poor physical health, mental health challenges, polydrug use, and recent exposure to violence. Despite these greater needs, their use of services was similar to youth who did not report NMPOU. The findings suggest that integrated...

Nivishe Foundation successfully launched “Understanding Emotions,” the first chapter in its groundbreaking Brainwaves Comic Book Series, one of Africa’s first comic books dedicated to mental health education.

The series uses relatable storytelling and vibrant illustrations to help young people understand emotions, break mental health stigma, and build resilience. It transforms complex psychological concepts into simple, accessible lessons that speak directly to the realities of adolescents and youth in Kenya’s informal settlements.

Since its launch in Nairobi, the comic has reached over 2...

The United Nations Youth Office launched the flagship initiative on Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing! The initiative promotes an ecosystem model for youth mental health and wellbeing, using a whole-of-society approach.

The initiative was launched at the Second World Summit for Social Development in Doha. The launch video is available here

This flagship initiative by the UN Youth office reframes the conversation to a broader vision grounded in care, connection and community. This effort bridges policy leadership with youth-led movements across the world centering young people as equal...

The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) transforms complex data into insights that reflect real human experiences. Every aspect of the Canadian Substance Use Cost and Harms (CSUCH) project represents individuals with lived or living experience of substance use, along with their families, workplaces, and communities.

A new resource highlights these journeys and the human cost of substance use through illustrated stories from people with lived experience and their families. The illustrations cover three key areas of the CSUCH project: healthcare, lost productivity, and...

Introduction

Prevention science is interdisciplinary, drawing upon multiple fields of research and practice to develop integrated knowledge. A challenge facing the field is the proliferation of different terms with the same meaning, and of terms with different meanings. This can create confusion in communication, affect evaluation standards, and ultimately also affect the implementation of preventive interventions. Contributing to the development of evidence standards for preventive interventions, this article describes the process and results of interdisciplinary prevention terminology...