Nailah Haque, a 14-year-old student of Playpen School in Dhaka, has earned a High Commendation in the junior psychology category of the John Locke Institute Global Essay Competition.

She received her certificate on 3 October, 2026, following an interview and shortlisting for her essay on mental health diagnosis, according to the press release.

The competition assesses students’ writing through a panel of academics drawn from leading universities, including Oxford and Princeton. Junior entrants are judged separately against their age peers within each subject category.

Nailah, who has a strong interest in writing, addressed the question, “Is mental illness over-diagnosed now, or just better recognised?”

The release said the competition received 100,227 submissions worldwide. Nailah was interviewed by the institute in July before being shortlisted.

She was invited to attend the awards ceremony and gala dinner at the London Hilton on Park Lane in Mayfair but was unable to attend in person.

Her High Commendation recognised the quality of her essay in the international competition.