The results of the online survey «The state of mental health of young people in Switzerland and Liechtenstein» will be presented and discussed. Join us for this event!
13.00 – 14.05: presentation and panel discussion
14.05 – 14.25: Q&A
According to a recently conducted survey, 37 percent of adolescents in Switzerland show moderate or severe signs of an anxiety disorder and/or depression. The number of young people struggling with mental health problems has generally increased. This has a direct link to the Covid-19 pandemic. 47 per cent of respondents said their mental health was worse than before the pandemic.
These are the first results of an online survey on the mental well-being of 14- to 19-year-olds in Switzerland, conducted by Unisanté de Lausanne and on behalf of UNICEF Switzerland and Liechstenstein, with the support of the Z Zurich Foundation and Zurich Switzerland. These figures are alarming and we will be discussing these along with associated risk and protective factors, the role of different stakeholders and ways forward to improve the situation.
Children and young people need support before they develop their first mental health problems. Investing in the prevention of mental illness should be in the interest of society as a whole, also from an economic point of view. According to a new analysis by the London School of Economics, societies are losing out on enormous contributions. The losses as a result of mental impairments and disorders that lead to the inability to work or the death of young people amount to about 57.7 billion US dollars per year in Europe. At the same time, investment in prevention is extremely low when measured against health expenditure and this is also the case in Switzerland.
Have we really set the right course in mental health’s policy for children, youth and family to adequately support young people in Switzerland and Liechtenstein? Are investments in the health sector and in psychosocial care having the necessary effect? How can the private and public sector work together on this issue and what are examples of successful collaborations we should be inspired by? We would be pleased if you were able to join us and attend this important discussion next month.
