Mental health crisis – a cry for help from children and young people in Germany
13.11.2025 14:33
We are experiencing a mental health crisis among young people. The Federal Student Conference, together with a broad alliance of foundations, health insurance companies, educational associations and trade unions, academics and civil society initiatives, is therefore calling on the Federal Government and the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs to take action. The German Economic Institute (IW) supports this demand with a study that illustrates the economic consequences of inaction.
The Secretary General of the Federal Student Conference, Quentin Gärtner, sounded the alarm at a press conference in Berlin: “We are in the midst of a serious crisis in the mental health of young people. This is a cry for help. No country in the world can afford to neglect its own future generations. If action is not taken now, this emergency will develop into a serious threat to our economy and democracy. Our message is clear: We want to take action and make a difference for this society. But for that, we need a political system that prioritizes our resilience above all else.”
The Federal Student Conference is appealing to those in positions of responsibility at the federal and state levels with a campaign: Are we doing well? Numerous studies, whether COPSY, the German School Barometer, or HBSC, provide a clear answer: No, young people are not doing well. Many of them suffer from mental illnesses such as anxiety disorders, depression, or self-harm. Loneliness is a constant companion for many. More than one in four students describes their own quality of life as low (German School Barometer, November 2024). Trained social workers and school psychologists are urgently needed at every school. Furthermore, children and young people must learn key skills such as stress management and self-regulation at school.
Quentin Gärtner demands: “The Federal Minister of Education and the state ministers of education can no longer shirk their responsibility. We are currently spending hundreds of billions on infrastructure, pensions, and defense. Where is the money for disadvantaged students? We are the critical infrastructure!”
It is crucial that society wakes up. Germany cannot afford to lose so many people from the generation that has already suffered most during the coronavirus crisis. “We took the heat during the pandemic. We did so willingly and demonstrated responsibility. But now we are being forgotten. The lockdowns are still not over for many students. They cast a dark shadow over the childhoods of millions of young people. We can no longer ignore this,” Gärtner continued.