Beyond Building”For” Youth: TheCase for Co-Creation in MentalHealth Innovation

The youth mental health crisis has triggered a global wave of innovation. Digital therapy
platforms, AI-powered diagnostics, novel therapeutics, and brain-based devices are
entering the market at unprecedented speed, fueled by venture capital and driven by
urgent need. Yet too often, the voices of the very people these tools are meant to serve are
missing from the development process. If we want innovation that truly works for young
people, we need to stop building for them and start building with them.
Youth co-creation isn’t just an ethical imperative, it’s a competitive advantage. When
decisions are made outside of youth engagement, we risk creating solutions to miss the
mark entirely. Today’s teens and young adults are digital natives who’ve grown up on
TikTok, Discord, and AI chatbots. They can spot forced “mental wellness” content in a
heartbeat and will uninstall anything that feels inauthentic or irrelevant.