Young Slovaks struggle with mental healthcare after Ukraine war, pandemic

Worsening mental health conditions and rising suicide attempt rates in young people combined with inaccessibility, lack of psychiatric beds, and unmet timely care are weighing on Slovak youth.

The pandemic’s social isolation and the war in Ukraine led to a worsening of the well-being of people in Slovakia. In 2022, 417,530 people were examined in psychiatric outpatient clinics – 53,000 more than in 2020.

The number of newly diagnosed patients rose in this period by 29% in 15-19 year-olds and by 17% in 0-14 year-olds. According to Slovak National Health Information Centre data, the suicide attempt rates of people aged 15-19 years old have spiked from 34 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2020 to 44 in 2021 and 57 in 2022.

However, the crisis also proved to be a catalyst for more action in mental health.

“After the Covid pandemic and the war in Ukraine, there are many new associations dedicated to the mental health agenda,” Stanislava Knus, project manager at League for Mental Health Slovakia, told Euractiv.

The state fails to provide timely care

For 1.4 million children in Slovakia, approximately 200 psychiatric beds in hospitals or treatment centres are available.

“There are only 49 child psychiatrists for the entire country,” continues Knus. “Although Bratislava has the largest percentage of child psychiatrists, they are far from being able to cover the demand for diagnosis and treatment. In some regions, a child psychiatrist is completely absent.”

The excessive workload child psychiatrists are facing results in long waiting times. “We regularly receive calls from parents who have been waiting a long time for an appointment with a child psychiatrist. For example, families with children with suspected autism have been waiting for an appointment for up to a year,” added Knus.

Former health minister Vladimír Lengvarský recognised the critical state in office: “This area of health care was neglected for many years, which became evident during the pandemic and the war in Ukraine.”

“In many cases, we are taking on the role that the state should normally fulfil,” said Knut on the non-governmental organisations and associations filling the gaps left by the state.

Schools are crucial in improving the situation

The workforce shortages are noticeable not only among child psychiatrists but also among child psychologists.

Currently, there are 552 school psychologists for 2337 schools across the country.

A recent “Pohodomer” survey conducted by the League for Mental Health examined the well-being of primary and secondary students. According to the results, children feel that they lack the ability to cope with their problems (28%), do not feel relaxed (25%), useful (23%), and do not see the future optimistically (21%).

An HBSC study found that two-thirds (67%) of children subjectively feel that they have problems in behaviour, emotions, and concentration. Additionally, children most often seek help from parents (74%), friends (72%), and other family members (52%). Almost a third turns to the internet, and only 22% and 14% confide in teachers and school psychologists, respectively.

The insufficient number of child psychiatrists and psychologists and the worsening mental health in young people results in delayed care. According to Knus, this could be where the schools can alleviate some of the pressure.

“Mental health cannot be solved with one simple solution. Several measures must be implemented in parallel, resulting in a different environment in which children live, especially in schools.”

Improving the environment to one that is beneficial for mental health is only possible through the involvement of everyone – students, teachers, and parents. As a result, the school can not only educate and teach but also contribute to the mental health of its students.

A Coalition of Schools for Mental Health was established to help guide educational institutions to an improved environment and a better understanding and to give mental health more attention.

“The steps that schools need to take include navigating help, teacher support and supervision, emotional learning, and a strategy for the development of mental health,” she concluded.

Studies attest that a positive intervention in the educational environment can impact well-being, with bullying occurring more sporadically.

As no sudden influx of child psychiatrists or psychologists is expected, schools can support the efforts to at least stabilise the worsening well-being trend in young people.

Mental health at the EPSCO meeting

The Employment, Social Policy, Health, and Consumer Affairs Council will meet on 30 November 2023 in Brussels with mental health set to be on the agenda.

Namely, ministers are expected to consider concrete measures to prevent and treat mental health issues.

“In the context of multiple crises, starting with the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health conditions have dramatically worsened: more can be done to protect children, ensure good mental health at work, and provide support for vulnerable groups”, is stated by the Council of the EU.

[By Filip Áč – Edited by Vasiliki Angouridi | Euractiv.com]

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