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By:
Veronika Vashchenko
- 10 October 2026 11:20
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Every nine minutes, somewhere in the world, a teenager aged 15–19 loses his life to suicide.
Even considering the limitations of the data, the message is clear. Suicide is among
leading causes of death among adolescents of older age groups. Globally, 1 in 7
adolescents aged 10–19 years old are living with a mental health disorder.
Behind every number stands a family, a school and a community wondering what could have been.
done. Suicide is rarely caused by a single factor. Pressure to achieve in school, loneliness,
family circumstances, violence, discrimination and poverty all have their impact. This is
also the reason why it can be prevented and why prevention is the responsibility of all of us.
We know what works. Responsible media reporting, life skills development in
children and adolescents, early support and ongoing monitoring of persons in
risk, as well as school mental health programs that address anxiety and depression are
some of the measures that are yielding results. UNICEF estimates that $387,2 billion is lost each year in
potential contribution to the economy due to mental health disorders that lead to
disability or death in young people.
Kosovo is part of this reality. With more than 423,000 children under the age of 18 and a
of the youngest populations in Europe, its future depends on their well-being. In August of this
year, the Institute of Psychology of the University of Pristina and UNICEF, in partnership with the Office of the
Prime Minister, presented a mapping of mental health and support services
psychosocial for children and adolescents. It evidences an increase in anxiety, depression, trauma,
bullying, substance use and risks in digital environments.
The age of initiation of drug use drops to 16 years old, institutional response is required
The finding that requires the most urgent attention relates to students aged 15 and 16: the percentage of
those who reported having attempted suicide increased from 3,4 percent in 2011 to 10,0 percent
percent in 2024. These are not abstract numbers. They are children, brothers and sisters, students, neighbors.
Help exists, but access to it is difficult. Families experience health services,
education and social protection as fragmented. Specialized public services are lacking and
many schools do not have sufficient psychological support. Children with disabilities,
children from communities in vulnerable situations and those living in poverty or in rural areas
face additional obstacles.
Kosovo has strengths on which to build a strong framework for children's rights,
dedicated professionals, good-willed decision-makers and an active civil society. The report
provides a clear roadmap, a national coordination mechanism, an action plan for health
mental health of children and adolescents with secured funding, more efficient referral pathways, more
many services in schools, early assessment for mental health in healthcare
primary and better data.
Institutions cannot do this alone. Each of us can listen to a child without
judgmental, take a friend or colleague's concern seriously and talk about mental health,
without being stigmatized. The media can report carefully, avoiding sensationalism
and showing that help and recovery are possible. While young people, who know them better
their needs well, they should participate in designing solutions.
About 1.2 billion people worldwide live with mental disorders
Today, on World Mental Health Day, let's move from awareness to action. Every child
has the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health, including health
mental. Let's make this right a reality for every child in Kosovo.
Veronika Vashchenko is the head of the UNICEF Office in Kosovo.
