We were honoured to join the 90th session of the Working Group on the Quality of Childhood, hosted at the European Parliament by MEP Radka Maxová, where child and youth mental health in Europe was at the centre of the discussion.
This session focused on how the environments children and youth inhabit—both offline and online—shape their mental health and well-being. The event brought together leading researchers, policy experts, and youth voices to explore how changing social, school, and digital environments impact mental health outcomes across Europe.
Exploring Mental Health in Changing Childhood Environments
Dominic Richardson, Managing Director of the Learning for Well-being Institute, presented findings from a newly published brief commissioned by the Alliance for Childhood – European Network Group. The brief outlines:
- The growing prevalence of poor mental health in the European child population
- The role of shifting environmental factors—social, digital, and institutional
- The need for early investment and sustained policy action to address mental health challenges from the start of life
Dominic called on European policymakers to treat child and youth mental health as a central policy priority.
Interdisciplinary Insights from Experts
Dominic joined a distinguished panel of experts including:
- Prof. Joanna Inchley, coordinator of the Health Behaviours in School-aged Children Study, who spoke on mental health in school settings
- Prof. Sonia Livingstone, from LSE’s Department of Media and Communications, who addressed online environments and their impact on youth
- Üwen Ergün, Head of KinderRechteForum, who shared lessons from Camp Köln on intergenerational dialogue in supporting youth mental health
The event concluded with a youth-led panel discussion, bringing lived experience and real-world perspectives into the dialogue.
