Sorry, you need to enable JavaScript to visit this website.
Skip to main content
European Commission logo

YouthWiki

EACEA National Policies Platform
Denmark

Denmark

7. Health and Well-Being

7.8 Current debates and reforms

Last update: 28 November 2023
On this page
  1. Forthcoming policy developments
  2. Ongoing debates

 

Forthcoming policy developments

The government presented its platform, Responsible for Denmark (Ansvar for Danmark), in December 2022. The government plans to increase the support to the psychiatric system already allocated in the 10-year plan mentioned in section 7.5 with DKK 3 billion.

The government focuses on health and mental well-being among children and young people and will initiate a range of cross-sectoral initiatives in the area of health and culture, as well as formal and non-formal education. The government will initiate a prevention plan targeting children and young people.

About 380 000 Danes above 16 years feel lonely. The COVID-19 lockdowns have worsened the situation in all age groups. Therefore, a majority in parliament has allocated funding for a national loneliness strategy and a loneliness partnership to gather knowledge and facilitate a cross-sectoral national measure against loneliness.

The majority in parliament has allocated DKK 24.3 million to the initiative for the 2022-2025 period from the national reserve for social affairs, health and labour market initiatives (SSA-reserven).

 

Ongoing debates

Young people’s mental health has been discussed in the media as well as among politicians for some years, which can be seen from the cross-ministerial national stress panel and the former minister of health’s youth panel. Among other things, the panels emphasise a culture of performance and no room for making mistakes, which put pressure on young people. A survey conducted by the Danish Youth Council confirms this picture.

The minister of higher education and science is worried about young people’s well-being. The question of why so many young people feel stressed, lonely, and are not able to thrive is high on the minister’s agenda. That is why a new unit in the Ministry of Higher Education and Science has been established. The unit’s objective is to focus on young people’s well-being.