There's an urgent need to promote resilience among Aotearoa's youth.
A new paper from Auckland University's think tank Koi Tū reveals 21% of 15 to 24 year olds are experiencing high levels of psychological distress.
It highlights suicide as the leading cause of death among youth and notes our suicide rate is one of the highest in the developed world.
Researcher Seungyeon Kim says we need programmes and spaces that help our young people to connect and feel safe.
She says parents and caregivers can focus on having interactions that are warm, attentive and responsive to the young person's need.
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