Art, culture, and the mental health of young people

Even before the outbreak of the pandemic, the growing fragility of mental health, especially among the younger population, was high on the priorities of many countries, in Europe and worldwide. With the advent of the pandemic and the subsequent adoption of necessary preventive measures, including isolation, there has been a significant increase in anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts among young people. The pandemic scar was then compounded by the effects of the war in Ukraine and environmental concerns. Several artistic and cultural projects have tried to respond to this call for help. Due to their low entry threshold and their informal and innovative nature, they can intercept young people and young people who escape conventional and formal support and care networks. The European Commission’s Voices of Culture structured dialogue platform invited participants from 53 organisations, selected through a public call, from 23 countries in the fields of culture, health, education, and social services for a brainstorming session in October 2022 in Brussels. This meeting gave rise to recommendations that see as central the need for the various fields (social, clinical, artistic) to work together in order to structure comprehensive and more effective interventions.