During European Mental Health Week 2026, Mental Health Europe organised a series of activities, including webinars, discussions and policy events focused on mental health and well-being across Europe. As part of these activities, the Learning for Well-being Foundation and the Alliance for Investing in Childhood co-organised a conversation at the European Parliament on how children’s mental health is shaped across the environments where they grow up.
A central idea guided the discussion: children do not experience mental health in isolation. It is shaped daily by the environments and relationships that surround them.
From family life to school settings, to the wider social context, each layer contributes to how children experience safety, belonging and connection. When these environments work in a more aligned and coordinated way, they can better support children’s well-being.
What came into focus
The exchange explored how these environments can be understood in more depth:
Family environment: including the emotional climate at home, parental well-being, maternal mental health, and the support systems available to families, as well as training and support for caregivers
School environment: the role of teachers, school climate, peer relationships, and the importance of safe, inclusive and nurturing learning spaces, including home–school communication
Social environment: the broader community, non-formal and informal learning spaces, youth work, and the social networks that shape children’s sense of belonging
Across these areas, the discussion underlined the importance of coordinated action to better protect and promote children’s mental health.
A shared direction
A key reflection from the session, also echoed by children through the Children’s Consultation Platform, was that mental health is among the most important and urgent issues today.
This shared concern reinforced the importance of continued collaboration across sectors and marked an important step towards stronger collective action on children’s mental health and well-being.
