Strengthening the mental health of children and young people
11.07.2023 16:41
On July 6, Federal Youth Minister Lisa Paus provided information on the mental health of children and young people. Seventy percent of children and young people are experiencing psychological stress in the third year since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. They are worried and have significant fears about the future due to the multitude of crises. They need a voice and support. The Federal Ministry for Youth is committed to this with various measures, including the "Strategy Against Loneliness," the "Alliance for the Young Generation," and support for the online counseling service JugendNotmail.
Federal Youth Minister Lisa Paus: "The pandemic will continue to have a lasting impact on children and young people. School closures and contact restrictions have left deep scars. More young people than before the pandemic are suffering from depression, anxiety disorders, and eating disorders. For many, media use has literally gotten out of hand. As the Federal Ministry for Youth, we have therefore taken various measures to support young people. I am glad that we have strong partners at our side, such as the Alliance for the Young Generation and the Youth Emergency Mail. Another very concrete measure is the 'Mental Health Coaches,' which will start after the summer holidays. This will reach tens of thousands of students at over 100 schools. Every euro we invest now in the mental health of the younger generation is money well spent. The study on the economic consequences of pandemic-related mental illness among children and young people shows this very clearly."
Federal Minister Paus launched the "Junoma" app on July 6. The online counseling service from JugendNotmail is available to children and young people 24/7 as a free, low-threshold, and data-secure online counseling service.
The three typical mental illnesses among children and adolescents associated with the pandemic – anxiety disorders, depression, and eating disorders – are expected to result in significant future costs. Depending on the scenario, these amount to approximately €2.8 to €5.6 billion per year. This is the result of the "Study on the Economic Costs of Pandemic-Related Mental Illnesses in Children and Adolescents" conducted by the research consortium of the universities of Ulm and Hamburg. More information is available at: https://www.comcan.de/berichte/expertisen
The BMFSFJ supports the empowerment of children and young people with a variety of measures such as the Alliance for the Young Generation and the Strategy Against Loneliness.
The Alliance for the Young Generation is an association of advocates and partners in politics and society who take young people into account, listen to them, involve them and support them with a loud voice – with their influence and reach.
Since June 2022, the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth has been leading the development of a federal government strategy against loneliness. It includes numerous measures to prevent and alleviate loneliness. The strategy is currently being coordinated with other federal ministries.