The mental health of children and young people has deteriorated drastically in recent months. This is apparent from current data from the ‘Pro Juventute’ foundation: The number of ‘crisis interventions’ that the 147 care and advice hotline needs has increased rapidly. The foundation is concerned that the services available are very busy and young people in need have to endure long waiting times.
The “Pro Juventute” director Katja Schönenberger assumes that the “multi-crisis” is responsible for this: children and young people were confronted in a very short time with various crises such as pandemics, war and the energy crisis, which did not all work out equally well. . The foundation is therefore now demanding emergency aid from the federal government and the cantons.
Without exception, it receives support from all young parties. The top politicians of the JUSO, the Young Greens and the young parties from Mitte, GLP, EVP, FDP and SVP staged an action on the Bundesplatz on Thursday morning. They were unusually united and posed in front of an oversized cell phone. The message behind it: We are behind the 147 helpline.
A sense of pride was palpable in the conversations with them: for the first time, a compromise was reached from left to right because mental health problems were taken seriously.
JGLP President Tobias Vögeli talked about his mental health problems and how he felt that the health system is currently unable to respond well to such cases.
Marc Rüdisüli of Junge Mitte also criticized the long waiting time that young people seeking help had to endure. “I think that’s precisely why low-threshold offers such as a helpline or advice via chat can help: such an offer can prevent and alleviate mental illness. In the beginning of such personal crises it helps enormously to avoid the feeling of helplessness. Simple information about where and which psychological or psychiatric help is often sufficient.”
Without exception, all politicians acknowledged: there is depression, burnout and anxiety. They were also aware that such illnesses can lead to severe mental crises and suicide. Together with “Pro Juventute”, this agreement led to a common list of demands: “Immediate reinforcement of the low-threshold initial guidance centers” and “increasing the awareness of these centers among the target group” are required.
But the compromise has a catch: there were different ideas about why exactly these measures were needed and what they would mean in practice. This was especially noticeable with the efforts of the Jungfreisinnige and Junge SVP: their party presidents were not only at the Bundesplatz “for planning reasons” on Thursday morning. The replacement present also contradicted the unanimous consensus of young parties from SP, Greens, Mitte, GLP, EPP, which had led to the deterioration of mental health and what to do about it.
Stephanie Gartenmann, chairman of the district organization of the Young SVP in the Bernese Oberland, blamed federal politics: “You only have to look at the past four years: the failed energy policy, the corona measures and the war in Ukraine made life very difficult for young people in Switzerland. » In other words: with a change of course, the question of a lack of psychiatric places no longer arises.
Also striking was the statement of Philipp Eng, board member of Jungfreisinnigen Schweiz. When asked why, as an economic liberal, he is now arguing for government measures, he gives his interpretation of the “Pro Juventute” demand: “If we, as liberals, advocate the expansion of low-threshold offers, then other measures will also be taken, for example through taxpayer funded positions.”
Mentioned as an example of personal responsibility in the personal environment: “The most accessible form of help in difficult situations can be found in the private environment: you talk with friends. We want to strengthen this personal responsibility by breaking taboos and creating an environment in which one can talk about problems.”
Eng emphasizes that dealing openly with psychological problems could also solve the problem of the lack of treatment places: “This also makes it clear that there is more demand. Appropriate offers are therefore not made by the state, but by the market.”
Such statements were less well received by the other young party leaders. Dominic Täubert of the Young EVP cautiously says, “It wasn’t easy to find a compromise.”
There is clearer criticism from Juso president Nicola Siegrist: “The situation in juvenile psychiatry is serious and it annoys me very much that JSVP and JFDP are closing further demands for ideological reasons.” Nevertheless, he emphasizes the need for such joint performances: “We show the children and young people that we take their concerns seriously. This is great progress. Downplaying and denying mental illness stands in the way of improving the situation and urgent action. »
source: watson
I’m Maxine Reitz, a journalist and news writer at 24 Instant News. I specialize in health-related topics and have written hundreds of articles on the subject. My work has been featured in leading publications such as The New York Times, The Guardian, and Healthline. As an experienced professional in the industry, I have consistently demonstrated an ability to develop compelling stories that engage readers.
