Action is urgently needed. The Ombudsman fir Kanner a Jugendlecher (Okaju, or ombudsman for children and adolescents), Charel Schmit, has expressed “growing concerns about the mental health of children and adolescents in Luxembourg.” At the Chamber of Deputies to present its annual report, Okaju stressed “the need for urgent and coordinated action on the prevention, detection and management of mental health problems.” He also pointed to gaps in the availability of data to properly assess the situation, leading him to insist on genuine monitoring to “collect solid, holistic data in order to evaluate and guide political action.”
This is all the more worrying given that the 2023 annual report already highlighted the need to improve mental health services--paediatric--“in order to guarantee appropriate support, underlining the lack of qualified specialists which limits the effectiveness of care. In addition, in Luxembourg there are gaps in the data available on the health of children under 11, making it difficult to develop targeted policies.” A recent HBSC 2024 report on the mental health and well-being of school-age children and adolescents in Luxembourg highlights the impact that the covid-19 pandemic has had on the mental health of young people: 29% of boys consider that it has had a negative impact on them, compared with 42% of girls.
Poverty also a risk factor
“The HSBC report paints a worrying picture of Luxembourg’s young people, underlining the urgent need to take action from an early age. Children living in poverty are more likely to suffer from mental disorders. Family financial affluence plays an important role in the mental health and well-being of young people,” continues the Okaju report.
Schmit’s recommendations on the mental health of children and adolescents include setting up a Sepas (psycho-social and school support service) in primary education, similar to the existing provision in secondary education, and paying particular attention to the needs of children with disabilities, young LGBTIQ+ people and families in precarious situations, strengthening digital safety in the face of the growing risks of cyber-bullying and early exposure to harmful content, and setting up outpatient and mobile mental health care services and teams to prevent hospitalisation and ensure follow-up after inpatient treatment.
The ombudsman for children and adolescents called for “simplified procedures and appropriate support services. Too many children are unaware of their rights and have difficulty navigating complex procedures.”
In its report of more than 320 pages, Okaju highlights several major challenges concerning the rights and well-being of children in Luxembourg. The report is divided into two parts: a thematic section covering four crucial issues (the mental health of children and adolescents, an integrated child protection system, the protection of children from violence and other harm in the digital environment, and children at risk of poverty) and a section presenting an overview of Okaju’s activities.
This article was originally published in French.
