LJUBLJANA/NEW YORK, 30 September 2025 – At the United Nations’ 80th-anniversary High-Level Week, Dr. Kat Zarychta, representing the International Institute for Middle-East and Balkan Studies (IFIMES)[1], delivered a pivotal address on the escalating global mental health and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) crisis. Speaking before world leaders at UN Headquarters, she highlighted the intersection of digital disruption, mental health, and leadership in building resilient societies.
The address of followed UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ reflection on the Organization’s founding promise: "Eighty years ago, the world planted a seed of hope. Today, that hope demands we confront crises with courage." The commemoration highlighted urgent challenges in Gaza, Sudan, and Haiti, alongside rising digital threats to global mental health.
IFIMES Representative Dr. Kat Zarychta opened her adress with stark realities: "Mental health disorders affect 1 billion people globally—1 in 8 of humanity. Depression impacts 264 million and is the leading cause of disability worldwide, while anxiety disorders affect 301 million. Yet we allocate only 2% of global health budgets to this crisis. This isn’t mismanagement—it’s a moral failure costing 290 million years of human potential."
Dr. Kat Zarychta further exposed the "Digital Paradox": "We live in unprecedented connectivity—spending 2.5 hours daily on social media, checking phones 159 times a day—yet 1 in 3 young adults feels isolated. Gen Z anxiety rises 41% after social media use, and young women’s depression has surged 50%. Technology promises connection but delivers distraction: we are more ‘networked’ but less nurtured."
IFIMES proposed actionable solutions through responsible digital innovation: predictive & personalized mental health support, integrated NCD care coordination and human-centered technology augmentation.
"We are not advocating technological substitution," she stressed. "We are building intelligent systems that prioritize human needs—proven through IFIMES initiatives like the Global Course on AI & Robotics and the forthcoming one on Life Science and AI."
Emphasizing the UN’s mandate, IFIMES linked mental health to sustainable development: "The UN’s 80th anniversary reminds us that peace is impossible without mental well-being. As cognitive resilience declines globally, leadership must prioritize trauma-informed policies and gender-inclusive care. Women’s leadership isn’t optional—it’s the cornerstone of resilient communities."
Ljubljana/New York, 30 September 2025
[1] IFIMES - International Institute for Middle East and Balkan Studies, based in Ljubljana, Slovenia, has a special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council ECOSOC/UN in New York since 2018, and it is the publisher of the international scientific journal "European Perspectives." Available at: https://www.europeanperspectives.org/en
