No savings on mental health of young people!

No savings on mental health of young people!

Deutschland - On today's World Health Day, April 7, 2025, the Federal Youth Representation (BJV) addresses significant words to politics. BJV chairman Lejla Visnjic warns that mental health of young people should not become a savings position in the upcoming budget. It indicates the inadequate care of children and adolescents who struggle with psychological problems above average. The need to create sufficient health insurance capacities for psychotherapy and child and adolescent psychiatry is considered urgent. The BJV calls for strengthening the offers of help during a time when the psychological stress among young people has increased.

BJV chairman Ahmed Naief also emphasizes the quick implementation of the government program "Healthy from the crisis", which offers urgently needed acute aids and low-threshold support offers for young people. Investments in growing up children and adolescents benefit the entire society. You could not only help treat psychological problems at an early stage, but also to avoid higher costs in the health system in the long term.

acute need for action in adolescent psychology

A current analysis shows the acute urgency of measures. Studies show that the psychological stress among young people has increased during pandemic and that they are now confronted with further burdens such as the Ukrainian war and the climate crisis. These new worries meet especially 15- to 19-year-old girls who often suffer from fear and adaptation disorders. Experts warn that inadequate help systems and overloaded health, school and youth welfare systems lead to long waiting times for therapy places, which have doubled in many cases and enlarge the supply gap.

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

The role of prevention

In order to prevent serious mental illnesses, experts demand preventive, realistic offers. These should be integrated into schools and involve topics such as mental health in the curriculum. In addition, it is recommended to increase school psychologists and create low -threshold offers to offer young people at an early stage.

also the fear of climate, as a new and important topic, is dealt with in corresponding reports. With 59% of the 16- to 25 year olds who are very concerned about climate change, it is important to help young people dealing with these feelings. Commitment to climate protection is an effective way to cope with negative feelings of climate.

Overall, extensive measures are necessary to sustainably improve the situation of the mental health of children and adolescents and to ensure a healthy future perspective. BJV chairwoman Visnjic urgently warns against making savings in this area and advocates strengthening the help systems. The time to act is now.

For more information on this topic, the detailed reports can be made on ots.at and aerzteblatt.de