Grassroot Soccer (GRS) is leveraging the power of soccer to equip young people with the support and skills for improved mental health throughout adolescence and into adulthood.
In partnership with leading institutions including USAID, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), Comic Relief, LVCT Health, and Ministries of Health in Mozambique and Kenya, in 2022 GRS launched a comprehensive mental health initiative to tackle the growing global adolescent mental health crisis.
Our new 2022 Mental Health Impact Report outlines the GRS approach, shows what GRS achieved in 2022, and looks forward to the progress GRS will make in 2023 and beyond as it continues to evaluate, refine, and scale its mental health programs to meet the enormous global challenges in adolescent mental health.
What’s In the Report
GRS is working to improve the mental health and well-being of young people in communities at heightened risk of poor mental health and with limited access to information and services. GRS’s model, based on input from world-leading mental health professionals and over 20 years of experience working with adolescents, improves young people’s mental health and well-being through a resilient mind, healthy body, and strong support network.
In 2022, GRS:
- Launched and tested MindSKILLZ, GRS’s signature adolescent mental health promotion program
- Initiated mental health programs in 5 countries (Kenya, Mozambique, Scotland, South Africa, and Zambia)
- Secured strategic partnerships with Ministries of Health in Mozambique and Kenya to co-develop and scale MindSKILLZ through schools, communities, and health systems
- Achieved a 96% reduction in clinically significant depression symptoms amongst youth living with HIV who completed GRS’s Coach-led group therapy program in Zambia
Download and read the report in its entirety here.
For partnership inquiries or more information on Grassroot Soccer’s adolescent mental health work, please contact: Chris Barkley, Technical Advisor, Mental Health, at cbarkley@grassrootsoccer.org.