More than 11 million European children and young people have some kind of mental health problem
UNICEF has presented its State of the European Union's Children 2024 report, which portrays the well-being of children and adolescents in the European Union. The report reveals that one in four children in the EU —20 million children —are at risk of poverty or social exclusion. Compared to the last data collected in 2019, this represents an increase of 1.6 million children. Spain has the worst figures in this regard, being the EU country with the highest rate of child poverty.
When we talk about poverty, according to UNICEF standards, different parameters are taken into account. That is, it's not just about the amount of money families have, but also how well children's basic needs are met (food, housing) and their access to essential services, such as health education.
The weight of social determinants in the right to health
Poverty and social exclusion are risk factors for developing mental health problems across the population. In children and adolescents, living in poverty also impacts their development and their future as adults.
Among the reasons for this increase in the number of children and young people at risk of poverty, UNICEF explains that it stems from increased material and social deprivation, a rise in households with incomes below the national median, and low work intensity. These factors may be due to the combined effects of COVID-19, the pandemic, and recent food and energy inflation. The EU aims to reduce the number of children at risk of poverty or social exclusion by 5 million by 2030.
The report mentions the significant disparities in the risk of children living in poverty across the EU. Specifically, there is a higher risk of poverty in:
- Children in single-parent families. The risk of poverty or social exclusion in single-parent families with children (43.5%) is approximately double that of other families with children (20.2%).
- Children with disabilities . Children in the EU with activity limitations due to health problems are more likely to live in low-income households.
- Children with a parent born outside the country. Children with a parent born outside the country are 2.4 times more vulnerable to poverty (37.2%) than other children (15.6%).
Life satisfaction of children and young people
The UNICEF report includes updated indicators on the prevalence of mental health problems at this stage of life, but it also measures life satisfaction among those affected.
It is estimated that around 11.2 million children and young people (13%), of those up to 19 years old, have some health problem.
The figures for the oldest age group include 4% with depressive disorders and 8% with anxiety disorders. Small differences are observed according to gender and age group . While boys are more likely to experience mental health problems in the up to 14-year-old group, girls have a slight advantage in the 15-19 age group. Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in this age group, accounting for approximately one in six (17%) deaths.
Paradoxically, 71% of young people up to age 15 reported high life satisfaction (as self-rated, with a score of over 5 out of 10) in 2022, according to data from the PISA report. This figure is an average, and there are differences between countries, as shown in the following graph. Spain is slightly above the average, with 76%. This data represents a 5% drop between 2018 and 2020 for the EU countries for which data is available.
Children's and young people's level of satisfaction is also related to the development of skills they need for adulthood: personal, educational, digital, and social. In this regard, in 2022, almost one in four schoolchildren up to age 15—more than 1 million children—reported difficulties forming friendships , with girls reporting less confidence.
UNICEF has put forward a series of proposals to address child poverty, focusing on action by member states and the EU itself through the provision of services and guaranteed access to free early childhood education. In this regard, the EU provides guidance and tools to help EU countries ensure that all children at risk of poverty in Europe have access to essential services through the European Child Guarantee. This strategy aims to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty and inequality in education, development, and capabilities through national action plans that consider the needs of homeless children, children with disabilities or mental health problems, children from migrant backgrounds or ethnic minorities, children receiving alternative care, and children living in precarious family situations. These plans should also include the promotion of programs that strengthen resilience and recovery.
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