Instituto Cactus and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Global Center for Child and Adolescent Mental Health at the Child Mind Institute launched "Have you ever felt this?" a new mental health campaign targeting Brazilian teenagers. The initiative centers on educational films designed to help adolescents recognize and understand their own mental health challenges.
The campaign addresses a real gap in mental health resources for teens in Brazil. Many young people struggle to identify their emotions or know where to find support, and culturally relevant education fills that void. By using film as the medium, the campaign meets teens where they already spend time consuming content.
The partnership brings together Instituto Cactus, a Brazilian organization focused on youth wellbeing, with the expertise of the Child Mind Institute, a leading research center in adolescent mental health. The Stavros Niarchos Foundation provided funding through its Global Center for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, demonstrating a commitment to expanding mental health resources beyond wealthy nations.
The educational films work by normalizing teen experiences. When young people see their peers on screen describing anxiety, depression, loneliness, or stress, they learn two things at once: their feelings are real and shared, and they deserve attention. This reduces shame, a major barrier to teens seeking help.
Parents benefit too. These films give families common language to discuss mental health. Instead of a teen shutting down when asked "What's wrong?", they might reference a scene from the campaign and start a real conversation.
Mental health support for adolescents remains underfunded globally, and Brazil faces particular challenges with limited access to trained therapists and limited mental health education in schools. This campaign fills part of that gap by providing free, accessible education that meets young people in Portuguese and reflects their cultural context.
For Brazilian families, the campaign offers a starting point for recognizing when a teenager needs support and understanding that mental health struggles are treatable.