A recent study in South Africa has highlighted the need for support systems for young people who are not in employment, education, or training (NEET). The study, which has been following a cohort of South African and Nigerian youth since April 2025, found that NEETs face intersecting risks, including mental illness, poor health, poverty, and fragmented social ties. According to the study, at least 1 in 3 young people aged 15-24 in South Africa is NEET.
The study, led by Professor Linda Theron of the University of Pretoria, found that despite facing many deprivations, NEETs remain hopeful and self-compassionate. However, their well-being cannot be attributed solely to psychological ruggedness. Instead, it is rooted in an enabling ecosystem that provides access to meaningful social connections, relevant institutional support, and welcoming spaces and places.
The study found that mentally healthy NEETs have families that continue to care, peers that refuse to give up on them, and opportunities to develop new skills and gain a sense of purpose. They also have access to spaces and places to de-stress and relax, and faith-based and other communities that welcome them. This multisystemic approach to resilience highlights the importance of support systems in maintaining mental health.
The study's findings suggest that individual-focused understandings of resilience harm young people with high experiences of vulnerability, including NEETs. By making young people solely responsible for their mental health, these understandings ignore the role of support systems in enabling resilience. Instead, the study argues that different types of support and resources from surrounding systems are just as important as strengths within young people.
The study's results have implications for mental health interventions and policy. By shifting the responsibility for mental health from young people to the systems they are connected to, policymakers can create a world in which it is not necessary to glorify psychological ruggedness. This can involve creating social, structural, and physical conditions that make resilience possible, such as providing youth-friendly mental health services and accessible institutional support.
World Mental Health Day 2026 urges respect for the expertise of people with lived experiences of hardship and related mental health challenges. The study's findings highlight the need for society to act on the expertise of NEETs and create enabling ecosystems that support their mental health. By leveraging everyday supports, such as families, communities, and policies, society can move beyond the 'DIY myth' of youth mental health.
The study's lead author, Professor Linda Theron, emphasizes the importance of understanding resilience multisystemically. By recognizing the role of support systems in enabling resilience, society can work towards creating a world in which young people can thrive, despite facing atypical levels of stress and vulnerability. This requires a shift in how society approaches mental health, from praising individual resilience to creating enabling ecosystems that support the well-being of all young people.
Key points
- A recent study in South Africa found that unemployed youth need support systems, not just praise for resilience, to maintain mental health.
- The study highlights the importance of a multisystemic approach to resilience, which recognizes the role of support systems in enabling mental health.
- By shifting the responsibility for mental health from young people to the systems they are connected to, policymakers can create a world in which it is not necessary to glorify psychological ruggedness.
