𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐚𝐣𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐲𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐬𝐮𝐞𝐧 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐝 𝐏𝐄𝐌𝐀 𝐒𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐮𝐦 𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡

…𝑯𝒆𝒓 𝑴𝒂𝒋𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒚 𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒉𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒛𝒆𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒍-𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒇 𝑩𝒉𝒖𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒆 𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒅𝒐𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔

By Tashi Tshewang

Her Majesty The Gyaltsuen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck graced the inaugural session of the Third PEMA Symposium on Mental Health, held at Zhichenkhar, Thimphu, from October 6-8. The three-day event focuses on strengthening support systems for the mental well-being of children and adolescents in Bhutan.
Organized under the theme “Empowering Young Minds, Building Futures: Investing in Children and Adolescents’ Mental Health and Well-Being,” the symposium brings together national and international experts, policymakers, and advocates to share experiences and best practices.

In Her Majesty’s address, The Gyaltsuen highlighted the collective responsibility of society to protect, support, and nurture the well-being of young people, recognizing them as the hope and future of the nation.
Her Majesty expressed with deep compassion and conviction, “As we come together for the Third PEMA Symposium, we renew our collective promise to place the well-being of our children and adolescents at the heart of Bhutan’s future. This year’s theme: ‘Investing in Children and Adolescents’ Mental Health and Well-Being’ is especially close to my heart. As a mother, and as someone who believes that our children embody the hopes, dreams, and aspirations of Bhutan, I feel deeply the responsibility we all share to protect and nurture their well-being.”

Her Majesty The Gyaltsuen graciously shared, “Since the establishment of the PEMA Secretariat three years ago, important progress has been made. I am happy to share that child protection cases are now immediately referred to the Secretariat, and services are activated within a turnaround time of just five hours. Where it once took 10 to 15 days for a child to receive protection, today services are provided within the first 24 hours. This is possible because of the tireless dedication of our protection officers working in close collaboration with the Royal Bhutan Police and the Office of the Attorney General.”

Dasho Dechen Wangmo said, “The PEMA Symposium this year focuses on the mental well-being of our children and adolescents. Our main goal is to create greater awareness of the mental health challenges that young people in Bhutan are facing today. At the same time, we also aim to learn from global and regional best practices and have meaningful discussions on how we can design programs suited to our Bhutanese children.”

She highlighted that the symposium is not just about discussion but about collaboration and action. It brings together voices from every sector to understand the realities faced by children and to collectively design solutions that are culturally relevant and sustainable for Bhutan’s future generation.

She added, “That’s why we have brought together around one hundred and fifty participants, representing schools, institutions, monastic bodies, colleges, parents’ groups, the private sector, and government agencies, including the Ministries of Education and Health. We also have representatives from GovTech, the police, law enforcement, legislators, and local governments. The idea is to first share best practices and experiences, and then, on the second day, for participants to work in groups to design programs and projects that will truly support the mental well-being of Bhutanese children and adolescents.”

Dema, currently working as a clinical counselor in the Department of Psychiatry, said, “I also look after the Mother and Child Hospital and help run parenting programs. In relation to the theme of our third PEMA Symposium, I think parenting is very much connected, because the mental well-being of caregivers plays a vital role in how they nurture their children. For children to be resilient and cope well, it’s important that caregivers understand effective parenting approaches.”

She explained that through her work, she has observed a growing need to strengthen awareness about parenting across Bhutan. While love and care are deeply rooted in Bhutanese families, many parents still lack an understanding of positive parenting principles and how these influence a child’s emotional development. According to her, most parents are doing their best with the knowledge they have, but traditional ways of upbringing sometimes overlook the importance of communication, empathy, and self-awareness in caregiving. Dema emphasized that by learning new parenting skills, caregivers can not only manage stress better but also build healthier relationships with their children, creating an environment where both parents and children can thrive emotionally and mentally.

She explained, “From our experience conducting parenting classes, we noticed that most parents are unaware of structured parenting concepts. Even though they naturally practice some parts of it, the idea as a whole is quite new to them. Most of our parents don’t intentionally want to hurt or criticize their children, it’s just that they have many other responsibilities and daily stressors that make parenting challenging. But what’s encouraging is that many parents- especially those here in the capital- are becoming more open and receptive. After understanding the concepts and exploring alternative ways, they go back home trying to implement what they have learned and often share that it has made a positive difference in their family life.”

Dr. Andrea Bruni, Mental Health Regional Advisor, World Health Organization, said, “This year, the third edition of the Mental Health Symposium in Bhutan is focusing on child and adolescent mental health. We know it’s very important to invest more in the mental health of children, youth, and adolescents. In this sense, the symposium represents a very important forum to discuss strategies and policies, but also to identify best practices to be implemented on the ground.”

He highlighted that mental health challenges among young people are not just medical concerns but also social issues that demand collective attention. He stressed that the symposium serves as a timely platform to bring together policymakers, educators, health professionals, and communities to exchange ideas and align efforts. He emphasized that addressing the mental well-being of children and adolescents early can prevent long-term psychological distress and build a healthier generation. He also noted that creating safe spaces in schools, training teachers to identify early warning signs, and empowering families to talk openly about mental health are crucial steps toward breaking stigma and promoting resilience.

He added, “One major concern about the mental health of young people and adolescents is suicide. We know that globally, more than 700,000 people die by suicide each year. This is a major public health concern- both globally and here in Bhutan. It’s important to address mortality due to suicide through effective prevention strategies, because suicide can, in fact, be prevented. Preventing suicide is not an easy task, but there are clear, evidence-based approaches to do so. These include restricting access to means of suicide, working closely with the media on responsible reporting, strengthening life skills education for youth in collaboration with teachers and schools, and ensuring early identification, treatment, and care from the health sector. Many lives can be saved if these prevention strategies are successfully implemented.”