UNICEF prevention of adolescent suicide economic evaluation

The Project

The WHO defines health as ‘a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity’; nevertheless, mental health is often neglected. Prevention of mental health disorders focus on three areas of action:  promoting a healthy sense of well-being, identifying those at risk of mental ill health, and lastly treatment for those who need it.

At the global level, Kazakhstan was ranked as the 9th and 4th for suicide rates in children aged 5-14 and youth between 15-29 respectively (WHO 2014). In response to this, in early 2015 the ministries of Health, Education and Internal Affairs and UNICEF developed an intersectoral programme on the prevention of suicides among adolescents which was initiated as a two-year pilot in Kyzylorda region (one of the 16 provinces of Kazakhstan).

LAMP provided support to the evaluation of this programme, undertaking the economic evaluation component.  We worked remotely with the evaluation team conducting the fieldwork in Kazakhstan to develop an economic evaluation including a cost analysis of the programme.