Fact sheet and brief, CRANK

What's known & what's next: Charting future action on the mental health consequences of child marriage

A thematic brief and summary report from the CRANK's symposium on child marriage and mental health, including evidence on what works, priorities and practical tools to support girls who are, or have been, married.

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Why focus on child marriage & mental health?

We know:

  • Mental health conditions – like anxiety and depressive disorders – are among the top causes of burden of disease among adolescents.
  • Millions of adolescent girls and boys are married before age 18 each year.

But:

  • The evidence base on the mental health consequences of child marriage[1] is thin.
  • What evidence does exist suggests that few programmes focus specifically on the mental health needs of those who marry before age 18.

What this brief and summary report are

This brief presents the key takeaways from the insights shared during a symposium on child marriage and mental health, which brought together over 200 researchers, practitioners, policymakers and donors to explore the evidence on the mental health consequences of child marriage, what works, priorities and practical tools to support girls who are – or have been – married (ever-married girls).

The summary report begins with the key takeaways and then provides more detail from each of the three sessions.

The symposium was hosted by the University College London Global Network on Mental Health and Child Marriage, in collaboration with Child Marriage Research to Action Network (the CRANK). Full notes and recordings from the symposium are in the symposium event page.

Practical tools to integrate mental health and psychosocial evaluations and support into research and programmatic work on child marriage

Measurement and screening:

⚠️ Important! While some of these tools are intended for use by non-specialists, you should still ensure you can either provide or connect those experiencing mental distress with appropriate support and services.

Responses and support:

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