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Countries Focus on Improving Children's and Youth Mental Health Through the "Health" Programme
According to the World Bank, in the 2019–2020 school year, 1 in 10 students was diagnosed with a mental health disorder. This has been affected by long-term impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. Many countries are facing mental health challenges among children and youth. To tackle these issues, representatives from Poland, Estonia, Romania, and Lithuania, who are responsible for implementing the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism's "Health" programme in their countries, met in Vilnius on May 28. During the meeting, they shared their experiences, challenges, and future plans for the programme.
The representative from Poland highlighted a few main challenges, such as not having enough services, a lack of specialists, and the need for better cooperation between institutions. She also discussed how Poland is working to provide mental health services for refugees from the war. Furthermore, Poland is increasingly offering telemedicine services, such as virtual consultations, to make mental health care more accessible, especially in rural areas.
The Estonian representative shared that the most common mental health issues in Estonia are depression and anxiety. The risk of these disorders is twice as high among young people (ages 15–24) compared to the general population. Estonia is focusing on improving cooperation between different institutions and working with not just the child, but also their entire environment, including family, school, community, and even social media. To address long waiting times and the shortage of specialists, Estonia is using telemedicine solutions more and more.
The Lithuanian representative pointed out that, according to data from 2020, just over seven out of ten (73.2%) young people in Lithuania said they felt happy, down from almost nine out of ten (86.2%) in 2016. She mentioned the challenges Lithuania faces, including depression, anxiety, academic stress, addictions (especially to new psychoactive substances), ongoing bullying, and family issues. To help with this, Lithuania is offering new services like well-being consultants, family therapy, and home visits.
The Romanian representative shared that one in five children in Romania is at risk for mental health issues. With a population of 4 million children, Romania has fewer than 250 child psychiatrists. The country is lacking in mental health services, especially for prevention and addiction treatment, and mental health professionals are at a higher risk of burnout. The representative also emphasized the importance of the media in reducing the stigma surrounding mental health.
This meeting was funded by the "Health" programme of the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism.
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.