A new report from AEGEE‑Europe and YOUTHreach suggests that improving youth mental health in Europe is not simply a matter of expanding clinical services. It requires systemic reform, sustained investment, and a shift toward approaches that recognise mental health as a human rights issue.
The report contributes to that effort by amplifying young people’s voices. Young people were invited to respond to a survey, situating their experiences within the broader landscape of structural determinants, rights obligations, and persistent research gaps. Many described barriers that carry real‑life consequences for their education, work, safety, and participation in society, concerns that are reinforced by existing international evidence.
The report situates these lived experiences within a growing body of global research. International evidence consistently points to rising levels of distress among adolescents and widening inequalities shaped by gender, socioeconomic status, and discrimination.
Read the full report to explore the lived experiences behind the data, understand how mental health challenges are restricting young people’s rights, and discover the evidence‑based reforms needed to build youth‑centred, rights‑respecting mental health systems.
This publication is complementary to AEGEE‑Europe’s contribution to the United Nations OHCHR for the 2026 Human Rights Council Resolution 57/30 – Study on the impact of mental health challenges on the enjoyment of human rights by young people. It synthesizes insights from AEGEE‑Europe’s and YOUTHreach’s networks and places them within global evidence.
AEGEE‑Europe (European Students’ Forum) is one of the largest interdisciplinary, student‑led organizations in Europe, bringing together young people from across more than 30 countries through a network of over 100 local branches and approximately 10,000 active volunteers. Founded on principles of youth empowerment, democratic participation, and European integration, AEGEE‑Europe works to strengthen young people’s capacity to influence policy, advocate for their rights, and contribute to a more inclusive and equitable society. Headquartered in Brussels, the organization engages directly with European institutions, civil society actors, and grassroots communities, ensuring that the perspectives and lived experiences of young people are represented in policy debates at local, national, and international levels.
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