A recent report from the World Health Organization’s European branch, reveals a troubling mental health crisis among Greece’s youth. One in four young adults in Greece, aged 15 to 29, is affected by a mental disorder, while self-harm ranks as the sixth leading cause of death for those aged 10 to 14 and 15 to 19.
Across Europe, the situation is equally alarming, with one in seven individuals from newborns to 19-year-olds experiencing some form of mental illness. Among Europeans aged 15 to 29, suicide is the top cause of death, underscoring the scale of the issue.
To combat this, WHO Europe’s Athens office has rolled out Quality Standards for Child and Youth Mental Health, presented at Greece’s Health Ministry on March 27, 2025. Deputy Health Minister Dimitris Vartzopoulos stressed that these standards represent more than just recommendations—they are a pledge to strengthen mental health care across WHO’s European region, a priority shared by Greece’s prime minister and the WHO regional director for Europe.