No saving on the mental health of young people!

No saving on the mental health of young people!

On today's World Health Day, April 7, 2025, the Federal Youth Council (BJV) is sending clear words to politicians. BJV chairwoman Lejla Visnjic warns that the mental health of young people must not become a savings item in the coming budget. She points out the inadequate care for children and young people, who struggle with psychological problems at an above-average rate. The need to create sufficient health insurance-financed capacities for psychotherapy and child and adolescent psychiatry is considered urgent. The BJV calls for an increase in the number of offers of help during a time when psychological stress among young people has increased sharply.

BJV chairman Ahmed Naief also emphasizes the rapid implementation of the government program “Healthy out of the Crisis”, which offers urgently needed acute help and low-threshold support for young people. Investments in the growth of children and young people benefit society as a whole. They could not only help treat mental health problems early, but also avoid higher costs in the healthcare system in the long term.

Acute need for action in youth psychology

A current analysis shows the acute urgency of measures. Studies show that psychological distress among young people has increased during the pandemic and that they are now faced with additional stresses, such as the war in Ukraine and the climate crisis. These new concerns particularly affect 15 to 19-year-old girls, who often suffer from anxiety and adjustment disorders. Experts warn that inadequate support systems and overburdened health, school and youth welfare systems lead to long waiting times for therapy places, which in many cases have doubled and are increasing the gap in care.

The BJV and the Austrian League for Child and Youth Health have launched the TOPSY Youth project to promote awareness of mental health. Three dialogue events with young people and decision-makers are planned until August 2025. At the same time, the BJV is working on a situation report on the mental health of young people in order to analyze the situation in detail and formulate appropriate measures.

The role of prevention

In order to prevent serious mental illnesses, experts are calling for preventive, life-oriented offers. These should be integrated into schools and include topics such as mental health more strongly in the curriculum. In addition, it is recommended to increase the number of school psychologists and to create low-threshold offers in order to offer young people support at an early stage.

Climate fear, as a new and important topic, is also covered in relevant reports. With 59% of 16-25 year olds feeling very concerned about climate change, it's important to help teens manage these feelings. Commitment to climate protection is shown to be an effective way to overcome negative climate feelings.

Overall, comprehensive measures are necessary to sustainably improve the mental health situation of children and young people and to guarantee them a healthy future prospects. BJV chairwoman Visnjic urgently warns against making savings in this area and advocates strengthening the aid systems. The time to act is now.

For further information on this topic, the detailed reports can be found on ots.at and aerzteblatt.de be retrieved.