Advancing youth mental health and well-being - A mapping of policy frameworks, tools and services across Europe (2025)

How are Europe’s young people coping with today’s “polycrisis”?

Young people in Europe face many pressures that have an impact on their mental health and well-being. Some of these factors include socio-economic status, job precarity or lack of financial stability, ongoing geopolitical conflicts, climate change, as well as digital transformation and increased social media use. In this context, the study provides insights into three main dimensions: policies, services and the competences of professionals supporting young people. It presents evidence from 24 countries, as well as work done by major European and international organisations.

Based on a combination of desk research and data collected through an online survey, this study draws attention to the impact of global polycrises on young people’s mental health and well-being. It presents a general overview of European, international and national policies and legal frameworks designed to advance young people’s mental health and wellbeing. It also gives a glimpse into an ever-changing landscape of different services and tools available to young people, offering an inventory of existing practices. It analyses the main providers of mental health services, the main age groups for which services are designed and the formats in which they are delivered (online, on premises or hybrid). Finally, it explores the competences of those working in the field, including youth workers, school counsellors and other professionals, and available tools, competence frameworks and capacity-building opportunities.

The authors conclude with a set of recommendations around policies, services, competences and research in the area of youth mental health and well-being, acknowledging the noteworthy efforts and emerging challenges.