Polish youth want to openly discuss their mental health issues and are calling for psychologists to be present in every school. They also propose adding critical thinking courses to the curriculum under a new subject: health education, as part of digital hygiene prevention.
Key demands from Poland’s mental health summit in the Senate
One of the demands presented by students in the Senate was to ensure nursing care in schools five days a week, potentially through medical student internships.
Young people also stress the need to raise awareness among parents and guardians about digital safety and to adjust the age restrictions for creating personal social media profiles.
Senate Speaker Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska and Deputy Speaker Magdalena Biejat emphasized the importance of addressing mental health issues and the need for changes in this area.
Science Minister Dariusz Wieczorek highlighted the mental health challenges faced by students and promised to monitor the situation through universities.
Polish celebrities support youth at Senate mental health summit
The meeting, organized by Senate Deputy Speaker Magdalena Biejat and the Student Action group, brought together government representatives, youth organizations, and experts.
It also featured support from artists advocating for mental health, including actors Anna Dereszowska, Julia Kamińska, Barbara Kurdej-Szatan, Paweł Domagała, singer Mateusz Dopieralski (Vito Bambino), journalist and comedian Szymon Majewski, and celebrity Małgorzata Rozenek-Majdan.
Actress Anna Dereszowska revealed that finding effective help when her daughter struggled with depression was very difficult due to the shortage of available specialists. Similar issues were confirmed by her acquaintances and thousands of her followers in Poland.
Warsaw, September 3, 2024. Actors Anna Dereszowska and Paweł Domagała, as well as singer Vito Bambino, at a conference on the mental health of young people (Marcin Obara/PAP)
U.S. and Poland team up to enhance mental health services
U.S. Ambassador Mark Brzeziński noted that stress and depression are also prevalent in the U.S. and pointed to the impact of the war in Ukraine on the mental health of Polish youth. He also announced plans to collaborate with Poland to improve access to mental health services.
Prof. Aleksandra Lewandowska, the national child psychiatry consultant, emphasized the crucial role of mental health prevention. She pointed out that adults often fail to recognize their responsibility for the mental health of younger generations and highlighted troubling statistics about the loneliness and invisibility experienced by many young people.
During the workshops, topics such as depression, health education, and digital hygiene were discussed, and participants submitted their proposals for further analysis by relevant institutions.
Source: IAR/Senat RP/X/@PolskiSenat/@PR24_pl/@USAmbPoland
(m p)
