The Asian Population and Development Association (APDA) and Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD) implement need-based national-level programmes to promote parliamentary activities on population and development, with the support of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and Japan Trust Fund (JTF) and in cooperation with the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF). Given the extremely high youth suicide rate in the country, at the request of Sri Lankan parliamentarians, a workshop titled "Building Resilience and Mental Health Capacity of Youth” was held on 21-22.

Approximately 40 university students selected nationwide participated in this workshop, where the participants deepened their understanding of mental health issues and learned practical knowledge and skills from lecturers (a psychiatrist, a university professor, a police officer, an attorney-at-law, and a consultant), such as how to cope with stress, how to seek support for themselves and their peers, and how to tackle discrimination and prejudice. It is expected that this initiative will promote collaboration among parliamentarians, academic institutions, healthcare providers, law enforcer, and community organizations and lead to the creation of an innovative framework to address physical and mental health needs of young people.

■Inter Press Service (IPS)
Building Resilience and Mental Health Capacity of Youth