OECD overview

Supporting mental health of young people during Covid-19 crisis                                      

The OECD overview examines the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on mental health, and provides policy recommendations for three wide categories: young people who are completing secondary or higher education; employed young people; and young people who are not in education, without job or vocational training. People aged 15-24 are classified as "young people" in this list.

The prevalence of symptoms of anxiety and depression among young people has increased sharply and remains above the pre-crisis level even with a partial economic recovery. Deterioration of mental health can be associated with disruptions in access to psychiatric services, widespread consequences of school closures and crisis in the labour market, which has disproportionate impact on health of young people.

Deterioration of mental health of young people since the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis

Covid-19 crisis has significantly affected the lives of young people; available data indicate an alarming surge in mental health problems among this age group.

In Belgium, France and the United States, according to March 2021 data, the proportion of young people experiencing symptoms of anxiety and depression was more than twice as high as according to the most recent data available before the crisis (US Census Bureau, 2021).

Compared to other age groups, mental health problems reported by young people themselves are more common among young people in many OECD countries. According to data from Belgium, France and the United States, as of March 2021, the prevalence of symptoms of anxiety and depression among young people was about 30-80% higher than among the general population.

Gender differences in the prevalence of anxiety and depression among young people in some OECD countries

Anxiety and depression being the most common two forms of mental disorders are more common among young women, (Van Droogenbroeck, Spruyt and Keppens, 2018) while the condition of schizophrenia is more common among men.

A study conducted in the UK showed that the prevalence of serious mental diseases was highest in April 2020 among women aged 16-24 and 25-34, amounting to 35% and 36%, respectively, and that the estimated effect of the pandemic on mental health was greatest among women in these age groups (Xu and Banks, 2020).

Special attention should be paid to the impact of the crisis on:

• young people with pre-existing mental disorders or substance use disorders; 
• people from low-income families or ethnic minorities; 
• persons who identify themselves as LGBT.

In a survey of people aged 18-30 in the United States covering the period from April to June 2020, respondents belonging to sexual and gender minorities were more likely to report symptoms of depression (Kamal et al., 2021).

Loneliness is one of the main risk factors for poor mental health

Young people were already at high risk of loneliness before the crisis, but the situation has worsened as deterrence measures continue to limit personal social interaction, especially for those who live alone. Eurofound surveys show that young people aged 18-34 in EU countries most often reported feeling lonely "more than half of the time", "most of the time" or "all the time" as in April or May 2020.

Factors that increase the risk of suicide

Chronic mental disorders, social isolation and financial difficulties have also been exacerbated by the Covid-19 crisis. Although the data indicate no increase in the number of suicides in the first months of the pandemic, age-stratified results are not widely available, and the long-term consequences are still unclear (Pirkis et al., 2021). For example, a study conducted in Japan showed that the suicide rate among people aged under 20 increased from July to October 2020. (Tanaka and Okamoto, 2021).

The Covid-19 crisis has seriously undermined the work of mental health services and increased the demand for them

Survey in June-August 2020 conducted by the WHO showed that mental health programs in schools were completely or partially disrupted in more than three quarters of the world's countries, while child and adolescent mental health services experienced interruptions in more than 70% of countries. Mental health services in the workplace have faced serious violations.

Other types of mental health services also report an increase in referrals in many OECD countries, with young people overrepresented among users and callers to mental health hotlines.

In a number of countries, mental health services for children and adolescents have quickly switched to remote consultations in order to ensure continuity of treatment. Although not all young people were comfortable using digital services for support, this played an important role in ensuring the continuity of services for many young people.

The impact of failures in schooling on mental health of young people

The lives of young people are still seriously disrupted due to many measures taken to limit the spread of the virus. By the end of March 2020, 35 of the 38 OECD countries had introduced some form of closure of educational institutions. While OECD countries have sought to minimize school closures, 28 OECD countries still had partial or complete school closures as of the end of March 2021. On average, two-thirds of the full-time academic year has already been lost worldwide.

School closures have disrupted access to mental health services, as referrals from schools are an important way to access mental health services for children and adolescents, while in other cases teachers may encourage parents to seek mental health help for their children.

An ambiguous situation in the labour market puts additional pressure on the mental health of young people

Young people are disproportionately affected by the situation in the labour market, which can have serious consequences for mental health, since long-term unemployment is a risk factor for poor mental health throughout life.

Young workers tend to occupy less secure jobs and make up a significant part of jobs in customer-oriented industries such as hospitality, tourism and catering, and are often the first to be dismissed (OECD).

Training programs, internships and occasional labour are also often suspended due to problematic companies, which creates additional pressure on the transition from study to work.

Unemployment has also led to significant income losses, which has led to financial insecurity, which is another risk factor for poor mental health.
 

OECD recommendations on integrated mental health, skills and work policies to protect mental health of young people in the long term:

• Additional mental health support through information dissemination, telephone or online services and easier access to personal services should be a priority for young people, and alternative options should be urgently found in cases where mental health services in schools and universities cannot be resumed;
  
  
  
• Priority should be given to providing support to young people who are at risk of early school termination, including young people with work experience with mental health problems, in order to avoid disruptions in their studies, which affect the results and overall well-being of young people in the labour market in the long term;
• Unemployment is the main risk factor for poor mental health: supporting young people in finding and maintaining jobs should be an economic, social priority of public health policy. Training line managers on mental health issues in the workplace can also help improve mental health of young people who are already employed.

Conclusions:

Young people experiencing mental disorders can recover faster from the Covid-19 crisis with adequate support and timely intervention. This will require scaling up existing mental health support in education, workplace and health systems, as well as comprehensive policies to support young people. Ensuring and maintaining access to quality education and work for young people should be considered a public health priority and an economic necessity.

The full text of the overview can be found following the link