According to a report ‘‘ Mental health among youth in Denmark” :”Many people in Denmark are affected every day by mental health problems, either because they suffer from mental health problems themselves or because they are closely related to people who suffer from such disorders. Seventy percent of all young people under 30 who were granted disability/early retirement in 2008, were granted this on account of mental health problems (OECD, 2013).”
As reported by SF in Denmark one in six children under the age of ten suffers from mental health problems.
“It is an alarming development that not only hits the families, but our entire society right in the heart. SF wants a fundamental change of course. A new government must take mental health far more seriously than we do today,” says SF’s children’s spokesperson Jacob Mark.
More and more young people in Denmark are inactive and are experiencing mental health problems, reports the European Commission. The Danish government has initiated a number of measures to reduce the number of children and young people with poor mental health.
However, SF demands the development of a more ambitious governmental base. For this reason, the Danish Greens want to appoint a minister responsible for the well-being of children and young people.SF demands the ministry be represented on an internal government committee that coordinates all government work.According to the Danish Socialist People’s Party, this should help to create real action focused on helping young people.
It is worth noting that this problem does not only affect Denmark. The scale and severity of mental health problems among adolescents in Europe are alarming. Suicide is the second most common cause of death among young people in Europe. The situation requires not only long-term and forward-looking action, but immediate action.
According to UNICEF’s analysis of the situation of children’s mental health in Europe, “The State of the World’s Children 2021; On My Mind: promoting, protecting and caring for children’s mental health” 19% of boys in Europe aged 15 to 19 suffer from mental health disorders. Among girls, the figure is more than 16%. Furthermore, nine million adolescents in Europe (children aged 10 to 19) are living with a mental disorder. Depression and anxiety disorders account for more than half of cases.
“That increasing numbers of boys and girls across the European region are reporting poor mental health — feeling low, nervous or irritable — is a concern for us all,” said Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe.
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