At their plenary session on Wednesday 12 February, MEPs debated the mental health of young people. This phenomenon, described as a “silent crisis” by the European Commission, is reflected in figures that reveal a highly worrying situation.
The 2022 “Health at a Glance” report found that nearly one in two young Europeans report unmet needs for mental health care, while the proportion of young people reporting symptoms of depression more than doubled in several EU countries during the pandemic.
The European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport, Glenn Micallef, pointed out that “20% of teenagers are experiencing mental health problems” and that “50% of young Europeans have declared unmet mental health needs”. In response, the Commission has adopted a cross-functional approach, with 20 initiatives supported by €1.23 billion.
MEPs called for swift action. Tomislav Sokol (EPP, Croatian) called for “easier access to professional assistance for young people” and “greater protection for young people in the digital world”.
Alex Agius Saliba (S&D, Maltese) deplored the fact that “neither the Digital Fairness Act nor the right to disconnect from work have seen the light of day”, two pieces of legislation he considered “important” for the protection of mental health, which are still being drafted.
An assessment published in October 2024 (see EUROPE 13497/6) is expected to serve as a basis for work on the Digital Fairness Act which would strengthen the protection of young people from the dangers of digital platforms. The Commission is due to launch work on the right to disconnect (see EUROPE 13567/22).
In addition, the issue of social networks and cyberbullying was discussed at length. Veronika Cifrová Ostrihoňová (Renew Europe, Slovak) said that “three out of four recommendations made to young girls seeking advice on diet on the online video platform YouTube concern extreme content related to eating disorders”.
Emma Fourreau (The Left, French) said that “young people will not be saved by antidepressants, but by breaking with austerity policies”. Along the same line, Romana Jerković (S&D, Croatian) condemned “the lack of political will and financial resources to tackle this crisis effectively”. (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)