The Real Gen Z Opportunity For Business Leaders Is Empowering Youth To Co-Create Mental Health Solutions

Forbes

a day ago

Written by Patrice Peck
As Gen Z becomes a leading force in culture, advocacy and the workforce, companies must understand how to create meaningful connections with a generation defined by conviction and action. Their sense of purpose is underscored in a new UNICEF-led global perceptions study, capturing insights from over 5,500 young people across seven countries, which reveals 58% of Gen Z feel a responsibility toward their country and want to have a role in shaping the future.
Gen Z embodies hope, leadership and a powerful source of rallying ideas in the face of overlapping crises and a lack of collective action. This generation, however, demands tangible change, not just lip service, especially on critical issues that impact their countries, the world's future and their mental health. So, how can brands meaningfully connect with and empower this new wave of consumers who are also employees, activists and entrepreneurs?
Although Gen Z is characterized by determination, UNICEF's report reflects the alarming mental health reality they face globally. Spending more time online than older generations, a staggering six in 10 feel overwhelmed by current events — news they consume more than any other content. Only half feel knowledgeable about mental health resources, and nearly half say their coping mechanisms are ineffective. The report shows a direct correlation: the more overwhelmed Gen Z is, the lower their well-being and, consequently, their sense of empowerment.
Achieving genuine impact is challenging in our modern age, but UNICEF's report overwhelmingly shows that Gen Z believes businesses, media platforms and governments bear responsibility for creating the conditions for young people to thrive. And 60% say employers should play a leading role or even lead in helping young people manage the emotional toll of today's world. The clear opportunity for business leaders is to co-create a new, youth-led path forward that supports the mental health of young people.
UNICEF and its partners have been at the forefront of progress, creating solutions that have an outsized impact. In April 2022, with the support of the Z Zurich Foundation, UNICEF launched the first Global Coalition for Youth Mental Health to combat the rising burden of mental health issues in children and young people by advocating for increased private sector investment and action. The coalition unites private-sector partners — including major brands like Pinterest and Spotify — to move beyond performative gestures and mobilize young people to become real partners in building sustainable, youth-led support systems.
"Gen Z is Pinterest's fastest growing audience, and they come to our platform for self-exploration and inspiration," says Alise Marshall, Pinterest's senior director of corporate affairs. "By tuning our systems for positivity and intention, Pinterest is demonstrating how technology can meaningfully support youth mental health and well-being."
Renata, 24 from Belize, poses with a sign reading 'How are you, really?' as part of a campaign to raise awareness on Mental Health Day.
Dr. Zeinab Hijazi, UNICEF's global mental health lead, explains that partnerships with UNICEF give businesses the opportunity to help rewrite the narrative — building long-term, youth-centered systems where young people have a seat at the table.
Since its launch, members have collectively invested over $40 million toward youth mental health, catalyzing impact across diverse countries and digital contexts. This direct investment has empowered children, youth and caregivers globally with tools, training and awareness initiatives.
'When businesses join this work … they're showing up in ways that matter — not just in policy papers or conferences, but in health clinics, classrooms and communities where hope and healing begin,' says Dr. Hijazi.
Take Spotify, which launched the Our Minds Matter hub with UNICEF in 2023 to make youth-led mental health content accessible to young listeners around the world. The streaming company built this initiative in collaboration with youth creators — a key move, considering UNICEF's report shows that one in three Gen Z say they want to lead mental health solutions.
"In an era marked by endless scrolling and overwhelming noise, Spotify is dedicated to enhancing well-being and fostering positive engagement," says Dina Gabriel, Spotify's head of equity, diversity and impact. Coalition member Pinterest integrates well-being into its platform, surfacing mental health resources when people search for topics related to emotional distress. And coalition member the Z Zurich Foundation brings momentum into public systems by advocating for a systems-change approach at government, community and individual levels alongside UNICEF.
'The time of fragmented solutions is behind us,' says Gregory Renand, head of the Z Zurich Foundation. 'For the private sector, this is not just a responsibility, but a powerful opportunity to drive innovation and shape a future where business success and youth empowerment go hand in hand.'
These moves reflect a broader shift: brands are choosing to meet Gen Z where they already are, co-creating authentic, engaging mental health solutions. 'When we create platforms where Gen Z can co-lead, advise and build, we tap into one of the greatest untapped forces of our time: their creativity, their honesty and their drive for impact,' says Dr. Hijazi.
Around the world, UNICEF has more than doubled the number of countries where it provides community-based mental health and psychosocial services, growing from 58 to 130 since 2017. In 2024 alone, over 66.1 million children and caregivers subsequently accessed UNICEF-supported mental health programs.
In Belize, funding helped UNICEF integrate mental health screenings and support into maternal and child health services, ensuring that women and children have access to appropriate mental health prevention, treatment and care when they need it most. This included, for the first-time, training 450 health workers, as well as screening and treating over 600 pregnant and postpartum mothers. This mental health training is now scaling nationally, with the potential to reach tens of thousands more women and children through integrated mental health screening and referrals.
In Lebanon, with coalition support, peer-to-peer networks enable youth to drive locally relevant, culturally grounded programming, centering their voices in public conversation and policy. Dr. Hijazi says these initiatives are building toward a more just, responsive and inclusive system for children and adolescents.
Dr. Hijazi emphasizes the far-reaching impact of coalition members as thought partners in advancing youth-led programming, from refugee camps and conflict zones to rural communities and digital spaces. The most effective efforts, she notes, are those built with youth from the start, gathering feedback during strategic planning and co-creating policies that address structural drivers of distress like job insecurity, discrimination and social isolation.
Gen Z is calling for change, and they're paying attention to who shows up. While progress has been made, gaps remain: Forty-eight percent of surveyed Gen Z say employers positively impact young people managing stress, anxiety and overwhelm from current events, yet four in 10 say stigma persists in schools and workplaces.
'Still, youth mental health remains one of the most underfunded areas in global development,' says Dr. Hijazi. 'UNICEF currently faces a $312 million shortfall to meet existing needs across 130 countries, and an additional $360 million is required to expand to 150 countries.'
UNICEF echoes concerns that the global annual mental health finance gap is estimated to be at least $200 billion. This reality presents a clear opportunity for the private sector to step up.
The business community is uniquely positioned to shift social norms and reimagine mental health support including in the workplace, from youth co-created campaigns and staff training on stigma to offering mental health days and influencing government policy. C-suite leaders can take concrete action to achieve their goals around purpose and workplace culture: hosting youth advisory boards, investing in youth-led mental health content or even changing internal HR policies based on Gen Z feedback, thus further empowering the next generation of the workforce. These practical steps send a clear signal: young people's voices are essential to shaping more equitable and impactful business strategies.
A UNICEF partner conducted a psychosocial support activity at a public school around Beirut, which had transformed into a shelter hosting 36 displaced families, including 40 children.
Dr. Hijazi adds that partnering with UNICEF enables companies to work alongside a trusted global organization with deep reach across systems and communities to ensure young people have the support they need to thrive, lead and shape a more hopeful future.
'Businesses have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shape a future where support is available before crisis hits, where mental health isn't a privilege but a right — a future where young people feel valued not for what they produce, but for who they are,' says Dr. Hijazi. 'That is the legacy they can help create.'
Learn more about the UNICEF-led Global Coalition for Youth Mental Health and how your organization can get involved here.
UNICEF does not endorse any company, brand, product or service.