Inform Yourself
Let’s celebrate together #WorldMentalHealthDay
On October 10, World Mental Health Day is observed with the aim of raising awareness about mental health issues and mobilizing support and advocacy for mental health as a fundamental human right. Even today, stigma, discrimination, and, in many countries, a lack of access to quality services that ensure protection, understanding, and a safe space prevails. JovenSalud is part of the solution. Through our educational platform, young people between the ages of 10 and 24 can improve their lives, develop their well-being, and access various services to strengthen their overall health, including mental health.
Depression and anxiety rank among the leading causes of illness and disability in adolescents, while suicide is a primary factor contributing to the mortality of young people aged 15 to 19. Half of all mental health disorders in adulthood begin by age 14, yet most cases go undetected and untreated (WHO, 2023). However, the average public spending on mental health in the Americas Region amounts to only 2% of the average public expenditure (PAHO, 2023).
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Youth who take our online courses report a lower self-perception of depression and a decrease in risk behaviors such as violence and involvement in fights, early alcohol consumption, and a sedentary lifestyle. They also experience an improvement in their mood and motivation; and find assistance in establishing a life project. Weekly, we receive between 300 and 500 requests for support through our coaching sessions and we have more than 135,000 registered users from 19 different countries.
At TeenSmart, we aim to serve ONE MILLION YOUTH BY 2030 and to accomplish it, we need your help!
If you own a company or collaborate with one, promote jovensalud.net among your employees’ families or contact us directly if you wish to be a content sponsor so that we can work on a plan together.
We want more youth to benefit from these services!
Other services offered by JovenSalud:
Online counseling, attended by professionals in less than 24 hours, and/ or by a chatbot with immediate responses for lower risk consultations.
Interactive questionnaires that allow young people to assess their overall health.
Micro-message sequences on topics of interest for each teen, sent directly to their cell phone.
Over 200 youth oriented blogs.
Celebrate with us!
Youth evaluated us, and we have the results!
Recently, we launched our online game La Aventura de CRECER Para SER, where through the use of ‘gamification’ – an educational strategy that applies game elements and principles to improve participation, motivation, and engagement – we aim to increase the use and retention of our users on www.jovensalud.net, while continuing to work on reducing risky behaviors!
Our youth had an immersive experience, transporting themselves to worlds full of adventures and challenges while beta-testing our game which focuses on emotional health, sexual and reproductive health, and violence prevention. This is what they said:
Inspire Yourself!
Meet Nataly
Our volunteers are the heart of TeenSmart, and today we want to introduce you to Nataly, a young Costa Rican who has used JovenSalud´s services for almost a decade, and now returns as a volunteer to help and motivate Spanish-speaking youth!
“As a young Latin American, JovenSalud helps me maintain the values I have grown up with, and the platform has also instilled in me. It also gives me the ability to develop my own judgment and know what decisions I should, or should not make, as well as their consequences. I know that if I ever have doubts about something and feel reluctant to discuss it with my friends or parents, I can rely on the coaching service.” – Nataly Vindas, 20 years old.
Nataly is currently living in Arkansas, where she is pursuing a degree in Finance and Marketing at the University of Ozarks, thanks to a scholarship she earned. She also serves as a volunteer at TeenSmart in the Sustainability and Fundraising department.
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Leave your mark today and until forever!