As youth mental health emerges as one of the defining health and economic challenges of our time, Orygen’s global leadership in the field has been recognised with designation as the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Young People’s Mental Health.
Announced at the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Orygen has become the first and only WHO Collaborating Centre in the world dedicated to youth mental health – reflecting decades-long leadership in building the field of youth mental and capacity to drive innovation and reform globally.
Coming after several years of work alongside WHO, including as the first Australian organisation on the WHO Youth Council, Orygen’s international arm, Orygen Global, will take a leading role in supporting international knowledge exchange, implementation, capacity-building and youth engagement to address what WHO has identified as a growing threat to the health, wellbeing and futures of young people worldwide.
Orygen Executive Director, Professor Patrick McGorry AO, said the WHO designation was not only a critical endorsement of the field of youth mental health as a response to a global public health priority, recognising its unique and vital role in the mental health landscape, but paved the way for a new wave of progress.
“Orygen is immensely proud to become a WHO Collaborating Centre, with the opportunity it affords us to strengthen our global impact and continue our work to improve outcomes for young people around the world,” Professor McGorry said.
“As laid out in The Lancet Commission on Youth Mental Health – and as identified by WHO in 2025 – declining youth mental health is a global challenge, and it calls for urgent global solutions and action.
“Orygen has been building the field of youth mental health for over three decades, and this designation is part of growing momentum nationally and globally, which empowers us to step up our practical work across the world, improving systems, services and outcomes for young people, not only in high resource settings, but also in low- and middle-resource settings.
“This designation has only been possible because of the collective efforts of many people across our organisation and beyond, including young people and families, researchers, clinicians and key pioneers and service partners around the world who have helped shape and strengthen our work.”
The recognition comes as momentum builds nationally for tackling the youth mental health crisis, with the Federal Government’s major investment in service reform and delivery, and commitment to delivering 20 new Youth Specialist Care Centres, establishing the National Institute of Youth Mental Health and expanding the headspace network.
Director of Orygen Global, Craig Hodges, will assume the role of Inaugural Head of the Collaborating Centre with Professor Rosemary Purcell as the centre’s first Scientific Director.
Hodges said the designation was an opportunity to further elevate Australian expertise, lived experience leadership and service innovation on the global stage.
“With this global mandate on youth mental health, we will continue to collaborate with organisations and communities in designing, implementing and evaluating initiatives that support promotion, prevention and early intervention in youth mental health,” Hodges said.
“It is when we collaborate with local and regional partners and young people that we truly have the greatest impact, and we are excited to further develop and expand upon these vital connections.
“We now have an important job to do – to continue leading implementation and capacity-building, and support innovation, around the world – ensuring all young people have the opportunity to lead full and meaningful lives.”