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1. National strategy(ies)

2. Improving the mental health of young people

National strategy(ies)

Currently, there is no government programme or strategy in Hungary to improve mental health of people and to develop mental health care.

Improving the mental health of young people

Mental health development in schools

Regarding formal education, the mental health of youth is centrally regulated in a government regulation requiring the mandatory integration of comprehensive health development into the educational programme, which includes numerous topics related to improving the mental health of children and adolescents. The amendment of the law in 2021 defines the topics of health activities that can be carried out in schools. It stipulates that only non-governmental organisations whose programmes meet the requirements of the professional quality assurance system may offer these topics.

National Core Curriculum

In the National Core Curriculum (Nemzeti Alaptanterv), accepted in 2020, the principle of the 'physical education and health development' states that

'the active human has proper attitudes to physical activities, lives an active life, accepts himself/herself, has the autonomy together with responsibility for the community, is open to new ideas and applies reliable solutions. The human with physical and mental health evaluates valuable the healthy and harmonious life. The pedagogues show the habits that establish healthy and harmonious life through personal examples in each stage of the education.'  (Nemzeti Alaptanterv)

The 9-10^th grades

In the 9^th-10^th grade, the student learns about stress and its harmful effects in biology classes and tries to avoid it; learns the facts that determine emotional and motivational actions; evaluates the connection between emotional and intelligent development; recognises the characteristics of mental health and understands its conditions; and plans the necessary elements of a healthy, preventive life.

Physical education and sport, with the introduction of daily physical education, contribute to improving the mental health of students in both lower and upper secondary school.

'Restorative Handling of Offences in School Education Institutions'

The booklet 'Restorative Handling of Offences in School Education Institutions' ('Resztoratív sérelemkezelés a köznevelési intézményekben'), which was sent to all schools, contains a detailed description of the recovery techniques that can be used in offences. One of the features of these techniques is the attempt to deal with conflict by uncovering the nature and causes of the conflict and allowing each participant to express and share their feelings. Through meditation and circle methods, solutions are found that can be accepted by all. On the other hand, the document presents good practises and initiatives aimed at promoting zero tolerance towards violence and the attitude of the whole school community towards change.

Trainings for teachers

The Educational Authority organises training sessions for educators in the topic of healthy lifestyle and mental health. Teachers can choose from 190 trainings in this topic, such as:

• 'Education for physical and mental health in the pedagogical practice' ('Testi-lelki egészségre nevelés a pedagógiai gyakorlatban'),
• 'Development of mental health of young people and reducing risky behaviour in school' ('Fiatalok mentális egészségének fejlesztése és rizikós magatartásuk csökkentése iskolai keretek között'),
• 'Educating the younger generation to a healthy lifestyle' ('A felnövekvő generáció egészséges életmódra nevelése').

Hungarian Association for Counselling in Higher Education

The Hungarian Association for Counselling in Higher Education (Felsőoktatási Tanácsadás Egyesület) was founded in October 1995 with the aim of uniting the efforts of organisations and individuals working for the dissemination and acceptance of the student-centred perspective and practise of counselling in higher education and, more generally, in institutions providing human services.

The aims of the association

The aim of the association is to provide opportunities for organised and nationally coordinated professional workshops and exchanges of experience, supervision and training for the professionals (psychologists, university teachers, doctors, university counsellors, social workers and the so-called contemporary support students) involved in the psycho-hygienic care of young people - especially those preparing for or studying at university - which has become particularly important due to the accelerated socio-economic changes.

The association has therefore set itself the goal of coordinating and developing the application of information, counselling and therapy methods used in university counselling - in individual and group settings - at national level. They also aims at contributing to the creation of a model for a modern institutional system of university counselling, including psycho-hygienic counselling for university teachers.

Its aim is also to support the training of prospective university counsellors, including preparation for drug and addiction prevention, acceptance of equality for people with disabilities and diversity/non-conformity in general, and career planning and talent management. The association places particular emphasis on spreading the culture of university counselling in regions near and far beyond its borders. It endeavours to maintain and expand opportunities for international cooperation for its members.

Achieving the goals

In order to achieve the above objectives, the association has placed particular emphasis on the coordination and development of the application and monitoring of the above tasks. Professional cooperation and coordination of activities are carried out through various channels, including

• the annual professional days,
• the annual book series,
• the organisation/coordination of scientific research and
• the participation of members of the association in national and international conferences.

Psychic first aid services

As a result of the increasing number of suicides, more and more organisations have been set up in Hungary to provide crisis support for people who feel unable to overcome their difficulties. Such preventive organisations are telephone based mental health first aid services whose voluntary tasks are suicide prevention, crisis intervention and the prevention of mental illness.

Prevention of mental problems and protection of mental health: psychosocial problems are a burden in daily life, the source of conflicts and difficulties in life. To prevent these problems from becoming critical, support organisations offer assistance in the form of counselling, information, management and accompaniment.

Crisis intervention: when a person is confronted with circumstances that endanger him or herself and these cannot be avoided or resolved, he or she is in a crisis. External help is needed to resolve a personality crisis. It can be a unique advantage that people who cannot follow the rules of everyday communication in a crisis - while the "broadcasting power" of communication decreases - can communicate their thoughts on speech and language channels.

Suicide prevention: by reducing suicide threats, transforming fatal 'solutions' into meaningful action and turning the crisis into a problem situation.

First aid telephone services

The main objective of the National Crisis Management and Information Telephone Service (Országos Kríziskezelő és Információs Telefonszolgálat) is to help victims of domestic violence, child abuse, prostitution and human trafficking and, if necessary, to organise their accommodation. The telephone service provides constant access throughout the day, across the country and abroad, to anyone who is in difficulty and needs immediate assistance.

Other first aid telephone services, specifically for young peope are:

• the Blue Line (Kék Vonal) mental health support service,
• the Hungarian Association of Mental Health First Aid Telephone Services (Magyar Lelki Elsősegély Telefonszolgálatok Szövetsége), and
• the Association for Mental Health for Youth (Ifjúsági Lelki Elsősegély).

In 2023, increased support was provided for them from the government.

Other initiatives

In October 2023, the Deputy State Secretariat for Young People launched the Mental Health Roadshow (Lelki Egészség Roadshow). In the autumn of 2023 almost 700 students participated in four cities. The events included a theatre play, discussion groups and introductions of organisations and institutions working in the field of mental health.

The 2023 tender of the Children and Youth Fund (Gyermek és Ifjúsági Alap) was titled 'In order in spirit' ('Lélekben rendben'). Its aim was to strengthen value-based communities that provide a safety net, security, friendships and identity for young people, helping their mental wellbeing and resilience. The budget for 2023 was HUF 80 million (about EUR 205 128).

Digital Child Protection Strategy

The issue of suicide is increasingly present among young people on the internet. The top priority of the Digital Child Protection Strategy (Digitális Gyermekvédelmi Stratégia) is to support the creation of an aware and value-based online environment so that rules and policies to protect children are enforced more accurately than ever before. To this end, it is crucial to identify and address risks to children when using the internet, in order to prevent and minimise negative impacts. Another objective of the strategy is to ensure that the available protection mechanisms effectively fulfil their function. (For more information see sub-chapter 6.8 Media literacy and safe use of new media.)