Europe Faces Growing Mental Health Crisis Among Youth, WHO Warns
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Mental health issues are increasingly impacting children and teenagers across Europe, according to a new report from the World Health Organization. One in seven Europeans under the age of twenty is now reported to have a mental health condition, marking a one-third increase over the past fifteen years.
The situation is particularly dire for girls, with one in four females aged fifteen to nineteen experiencing mental health challenges. The report highlights rising concerns linked to social isolation, the COVID-19 pandemic, ongoing geopolitical conflicts, and socioeconomic instability as significant contributors to this crisis.
In a comparative analysis, teenagers in the Danish territory of the Faroe Islands, alongside Iceland and Denmark, reported the highest levels of mental well-being, while those in Ukraine, Cyprus, and Poland faced some of the lowest.
Access to mental health support remains critically inadequate across Europe, with about one-quarter of European countries lacking community-based mental health services targeted at young people. Alarmingly, one in five nations does not have dedicated mental health policies for the youth.
Dr. Joao Breda, who focuses on patient safety and health care quality at the WHO, described the report as a wake-up call, emphasizing that every child and young person has the right to mental health support and high-quality care.
The WHO's report is pioneering in that it comprehensively collects data on child and youth mental health across the organization's European region, which includes fifty-three countries in Europe and Central Asia.
The report underscores the urgent need for improved in-person mental health care, especially as young individuals increasingly turn to artificial intelligence chatbots like ChatGPT for emotional support, which has sometimes led to tragic outcomes.
The WHO advocates for immediate action from countries to enhance mental health services and redesign programs to better cater to the unique needs of children and adolescents. Dr. Breda urged that by taking decisive action now, nations can establish resilient systems that enable future generations to thrive.