More and more young people in the Netherlands are suffering from mental complaints. The municipality therefore wants to strengthen the mental health of young people in Amstelveen. The Mental Health Implementation Plan contains several actions that will be implemented in the coming years.
Councilman Frank Berkhout; "Depression, performance pressure, problematic use of social media and feelings of loneliness. It is increasingly common among our youth and young adults. About one in four young people in Amstelveen has psychological complaints. As a municipality, we really want to do something about this. By helping them and by preventing as much as possible that they end up in this situation. We not only look at the young people themselves but also at their parents. So that they have tools to help their children."
Examples of these actions are the theater performances that the KiKiD Foundation holds about mental health and increasing resilience. There will also be preventive group offerings for young people with incipient symptoms and courses for educators and parents on adolescent mental health. If a young person is on a waiting list for psychological help, the municipality will deploy a program. This program supports young people and their parents during the waiting period, with the aim of making the period more bearable and preventing the worsening of problems.
For help and more information
In addition to the new offerings, the municipality is going to raise awareness of the existing aid offerings. For example, at www.amstelveen.nl/jeugdhulp there is a document with an overview of all youth aid that young people and their parents can use, mostly free of charge and without a referral.