NE15 - Brain capital and the young generation (18:45-20:30)

The devastating impact of mental disorders cannot be ignored. The cost of not acting is tremendous and there is a need to improve the efficiency of brain health and care pathways, prevent avoidable deaths and implement cost-effective solutions.

Youth is the future. However, recent studies underscore the severity of the mental health challenges children and adolescents face that can lead to disability, disease, and death. There are numerous unmet needs along the care pathway, although effective early detection and interventions exist. Navigating the mental health services system is often complex for families, due to services that are fragmented or disrupted. According to the OECD (2018), the total costs of mental ill-health are estimated at more than 4% of GDP – or over €600 billion – across the 28 EU countries. And the burden is increasing, exacerbated also by the COVID-19 pandemic. Policies and programmes to prevent and mitigate the negative impacts are paramount. The accumulation of human and social capital must start at a young age as the brain develops rapidly during early childhood and adolescence. By building a strong foundation, investing in optimal interventions tailored to the young generation advances socio-economic development. These challenges will be addressed at this joint EBC-FENS-OECD meeting.