World Youth Day

Neos: “Psychotherapy as a health insurance benefit for all”

(Bild: Summit Art Creations - stock.adobe.com / KroneMED)

Around a quarter of ten to 18-year-olds in Austria have mental health problems. Around 100,000 need acute treatment. However, not even half of the necessary treatment places are secured. The NEOS are therefore launching a parliamentary petition. 

However, not even half of the necessary treatment places have been secured. On the occasion of World Youth Day on Monday, NEOS youth spokesperson Yannick Shetty is calling for the current bridging aid to finally be turned into functioning standard care.

"A broken soul hurts no less than a broken arm. Psychotherapy must finally become a health insurance benefit," says Yannick Shetty. "No boy or girl in an emergency situation should have to worry about whether their parents can afford therapy - precisely because people have been paying twice for therapy for 30 years.

Promises were not kept
In 1992, social insurance contributions were increased with the promise that psychotherapy would finally become a health insurance benefit. This was never delivered. Now people are paying for higher social insurance contributions and at the same time paying for therapy themselves."

Yannick Shetty from the NEOS

(Bild: krone.tv)

Numerous youth studies prove year after year that mental health is one of the most pressing issues for young people in Austria. According to Shetty, it is therefore all the more important that all those affected receive therapy as quickly as possible.

There is a lack of social workers - the Greens and ÖVP have made no progress
In order to finally get prevention work off the ground, schools also need cross-professional teams to cushion the psychosocial consequences of bullying, for example. In order to find enough school social workers, the number of places on social work courses must be increased.

Let's prevent one generation after another from falling into burnout.

Yannick Shetty (NEOS)

But here too, the ÖVP and the Greens would have made no progress. "For this reason, we will increase the pressure before the national elections and introduce a parliamentary petition. The mental health of children and young people must be placed above party political interests," says Shetty.

"Mental health determines the future prospects of children and the country's workforce. Let's get to the root of the problem by tackling the mental health of children and young people. Let's prevent one generation after another from falling into burnout. There are problems between the federal and state governments when it comes to funding school psychologists.

The 'Healthy from the crisis' project is only financed in the short term. There is no solution in sight. It is unacceptable for disputes to be carried out on the backs of our children. As the only force for reform, we NEOS will not abandon our children and young people. This applies not only on World Youth Day, but 365 days a year," said Shetty.