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Improving the Emotional Health of Children, Youth, and Their Families in Lithuania
Since 2020, Lithuania's Ministry of Health has been offering new services in local communities to support mental health, focusing on children, young people, and their families. These services include family visits, emotional well-being advisers, youth-friendly healthcare services, the "Incredible Years" program and others. Over 75,000 people have already benefited from these services in 50 municipalities.
"Mental health support for young people is becoming more important. Although many mental health programs are new, it is encouraging to see that we are making good progress and, with help from partners, we can reach even more people," says Edgaras Diržius, Advisor to the Minister of Health.
Ingrida Zurlytė, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) office in Lithuania, emphasizes that mental health is crucial at all stages of life — from before birth through old age. She explains that to protect mental health effectively, we need to implement programs that address mental health risks and protective factors at every age. This is a key priority for WHO.
New Services in Lithuania:
- Family Visits: This service helps pregnant women and new mothers with children under two years old. Trained nurses and midwives visit families facing challenges, providing advice on pregnancy and early childhood. Since 2022, this service has been available in 16 municipalities and has already helped over 300 families.
- Emotional Well-being Advisers: These consultants help people with mild symptoms of depression or anxiety. They provide support and skills to manage these challenges. This service is available for free to individuals over 18 and will soon be available at public health offices.
- Renovated Health Rooms in Schools and Preschools: Health rooms in 27 municipalities have been updated and equipped to promote healthy living, physical activity, and mental health awareness for children and teens.
- Youth-Friendly Healthcare Services: These services encourage young people to adopt healthier lifestyles and support their mental and physical health. They are offered in 24 municipalities, with trained coordinators providing over 4,000 consultations to young people.
Lithuania also launched the "Incredible Years" program to help parents of children aged 3-12 who are dealing with behavioral or emotional challenges. The program trains specialists to lead groups for parents, helping them understand their child’s behavior, learn effective parenting techniques, and strengthen their bond with their child.
The program has been running for four years, and feedback has been positive. Parents have learned how to handle challenging behaviors, set boundaries, and create a healthy parent-child relationship. The program also boosts parents' confidence and helps them better understand both their own feelings and their child’s emotions.
Dr. Marija Jakubauskienė from Vilnius University points out that mental health problems are becoming more common, especially at younger ages. Research shows that about one in three people will experience mental health problems at some point in their life, and for many adults, these problems began in childhood or adolescence.
She stresses that community-based programs in schools, workplaces, and families can have a big impact on improving mental health. Collaboration between scientists, policymakers, mental health professionals, and the community is essential for success.
More about the Health Programme
The European Economic Area Financial Mechanism Health Programme projects in Lithuania aim to strengthen mental health services in communities and improve the well-being of children and young people. The programme's various measures include the development of psychosocial support, youth-friendly health services, support for vulnerable children and young people, the establishment of one-stop help centres for children and families, training for parents under the 'Incredible Years' programme, cooperation between families and health professionals, and the development of services and support for pregnant women, mothers in labour, and mothers of children up to the age of two. In total, more than €17.9 million has been earmarked for the Health Programme for 2014-2021.