The OECD report Promoting Good Mental Health in Children and Young Adults (April 2025) warns that the psychological well-being of children and young people in Europe/the European Economic Area is deteriorating, with significant increases in anxiety, depression, and burnout symptoms since 2018, especially among adolescents.
The report notes that many of these issues go unnoticed or untreated, and that mild or moderate symptoms, if not addressed early, are highly likely to develop into more serious conditions.
The study identifies several factors behind this decline: social isolation, excessive use of social media, the COVID-19 pandemic, climate crises, and a lack of support in school, family, and community contexts.
To respond to this crisis, the OECD presents 11 effective practices, including school-based interventions, training for teachers, parents, and health professionals, easier access to psychological support, peer-to-peer programmes, and suicide prevention initiatives.
Concrete examples include programmes such as Zippy’s Friends, This is Me, @Ease, Belgian reforms that allow free psychological consultations, and initiatives for early detection of postpartum depression. The report highlights that while national policies and action plans exist in many countries, implementation is still uneven: in key areas such as education, primary healthcare, and youth workplaces, major gaps remain.
Final recommendations include expanding mental health service capacity, creating community-based interventions, promoting mental health literacy and reducing stigma, while adapting practices to local contexts and ensuring sustainable funding.
The report reminds us that investing in the mental health of children and young people is not only a matter of well-being but also of economic, educational, and social futures: prevention today reduces treatment costs and productivity losses in the long run.
Read the full report here.
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