2024-05-162023/24:UbU11 · p.11UbUEducation
Students' mental health
Student health services and the causes of rising mental ill-health among young people
What's at stake: The issue concerns students' well-being and ability to manage schooling, and how schools, health care and social services cooperate around students who are struggling. A knowledge base on the causes of mental ill-health could shape future decisions about schools and society more broadly.
Case texts and AI reasoning are AI-translated from the Swedish originals; the Swedish text is authoritative.
What the vote decides
Whether a dedicated inquiry into the causes of rising mental ill-health among children and young people is needed, or whether ongoing work to strengthen student health services already meets the need.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee underlines student health services' preventive and health-promoting role and their cooperation with health care and social services when needed. The committee notes that a recently decided committee directive on improved student health services already covers how medical, psychological and psychosocial support can be strengthened, that new 2023 regulation strengthens student health's role in schools' quality work, and that a national health programme for children and young people up to age 20 is under development. The committee therefore recommends rejecting the motions.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 24 (S, V)
The reserving parties (S, V) note that mental ill-health among children and young people has risen and that no comprehensive knowledge base exists on its causes. They call for an inquiry into why children and young people are increasingly affected by mental ill-health, examining, among other things, how developments in Sweden differ from other countries and how changes to the Swedish school system have affected the trend.
Summarised from the committee report. Party labels in the summary come from the report, not from the vote.
What do the votes mean here?
Yes The committee proposal: rejecting the motions (keeping things as they are).
No Backing the counter-proposal: reservation 24 by S, V.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
The decision would have gone the other way
Explicit commitments that contradicted the vote: SDSverigedemokraterna
Ja 160–114Nej 99–175
Counterfactual: the parties above are moved to the position their own documents explicitly point at, carrying their whole contingent present. Every other party keeps its real figures, including dissenters and absentees.
What each plan points to — and how the party voted
For each party: the vote its own election manifesto and party programme point to in this case, next to how the party actually voted. A plan can only point to Yes or No; a party can also abstain.
| Plan | Vote | Confidence | Evidence | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | No | No 0/19/0/5 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| S | No | No 0/93/0/13 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| MP | No | Yes 12/1/0/5 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| C | No | Abstain 0/0/19/5 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| L | No | Yes 12/0/0/4 | departs from the plan | confidence: low | derived |
| KD | No | Yes 14/0/0/5 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| M | No | Yes 60/0/0/8 | departs from the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| SD | No | Yes 61/0/0/11 | departs from the planagainst own programme | confidence: medium | explicit |
Broke with the party line
| MPRebecka Le Moine (MP, Östergötlands län) | No — party line: Yes |
MPs whose vote differs from their party's majority position in this division. Marked with a dark ring in the chamber view.
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects the motions 2023/24:2378 by Inga-Lill Sjöblom and Ardalan Shekarabi (both S), 2023/24:2482 by Muharrem Demirok et al. (C) item 27 and 2023/24:2687 by Åsa Westlund et al. (S) item 35.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2023/24:2378 av Inga-Lill Sjöblom och Ardalan Shekarabi (båda S), 2023/24:2482 av Muharrem Demirok m.fl. (C) yrkande 27 och 2023/24:2687 av Åsa Westlund m.fl. (S) yrkande 35.
Riksdag decision: The Riksdag rejected approximately 120 proposals on teachers and students in motions from the general motion period 2023. The reason is, among other things, that work is underway or that measures have already been taken on the issues covered by the proposals. The proposals dealt, for example, with school staff, background checks (registerkontroll), student health and students with special needs.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants to especially support programs that train new teachers through school-based work and expand pathways into the teaching profession. (S, V) — Reservation 24
Plan vs actual vote
Every party, in chamber order: what its own plan pointed to, how it voted, and the reasoning behind both. Highlighted rows are where the two differ — but a vote that follows the plan is a result too, so the reasoning is there for every party.
The plan notes that mental ill-health among young people is widespread and explicitly links the market-adapted school to segregation and increased inequality, thus to exactly the system changes the investigation shall illuminate.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan notes that mental ill-health among young people is widespread and explicitly links the market-adapted school to segregation and increased inequality, thus to exactly the system changes the investigation shall illuminate. Policy must also be built on solid research and scientifically-based pedagogy. A special investigation into the causes of increasing mental ill-health therefore follows from the plan.
Original (Swedish)
Planen konstaterar att den psykiska ohälsan bland unga är utbredd och kopplar uttryckligen den marknadsanpassade skolan till segregation och ökad ojämlikhet, alltså till just de systemförändringar utredningen ska belysa. Politiken ska dessutom byggas på stabil forskning och en vetenskapligt grundad pedagogik. En särskild utredning om orsakerna till den ökande psykiska ohälsan följer därför av planen.
- widespread mental ill-health among young peopledecisive»Alltför många barn far illa idag och den psykiska ohälsan bland unga är utbredd.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Far too many children are suffering today and mental ill-health among young people is widespread.”
- schooling system's harmful effects»Dessutom leder den marknadsanpassade skolan till betygsinflation, segregation och ökad ojämlikhet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Furthermore, the market-adapted school leads to grade inflation, segregation and increased inequality.”
- policy built on research»rörelse för ett bättre samhälle behöver bygga på stabil forskning och« (party programme ↗)“movement for a better society needs to be built on solid research and”
- strengthened student health»Det krävs satsningar inte bara på undervisning utan också på elevhälsa, specialpedagoger, fritidsverksamhet och socialt stöd.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Investments are needed not only in teaching but also in student health, special education teachers, leisure activities and social support.”
The election manifesto establishes that the school should give every child the opportunity to succeed and that resources must stay in schools by stopping for-profit schools; the party programme gives children the right to safe study environments and equivalent conditions.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto establishes that the school should give every child the opportunity to succeed and that resources must stay in schools by stopping for-profit schools; the party programme gives children the right to safe study environments and equivalent conditions. An investigation that weighs together the causes of increasing mental illness, including changes to the school system, is in line with the critical stance towards today's school system.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet slår fast att skolan ska ge varje barn möjlighet att lyckas och att resurserna måste stanna i skolan genom ett stopp för marknadsskolan; partiprogrammet ger barn rätt till trygga studiemiljöer och likvärdiga villkor. En utredning som väger samman orsakerna till den ökande psykiska ohälsan, inklusive skolsystemets förändringar, ligger i linje med den kritiska hållningen till dagens skolsystem.
- the school system affects studentsdecisive»Skolan ska ge varje barn möjlighet att lyckas utifrån sina förutsättningar. För det krävs mer resurser och att resurserna stannar i skolan genom ett stopp för marknadsskolan.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“School should give every child the opportunity to succeed based on their circumstances. For that, more resources are needed and resources must stay in schools by stopping for-profit schools.”
- safe study environment»Studerande, barn lika väl som vuxna, ska ha rätt till trygga arbetsmiljöer och« (party programme ↗)“Students, both children and adults, should have the right to safe working environments and”
- equivalent growing-up conditions»Alla barn och ungdomar ska ha rätt till likvärdiga villkor« (party programme ↗)“All children and young people should have the right to equivalent conditions”
- school environment free from violations»Detta kräver studiemiljöer fria från mobbing, från« (party programme ↗)“This requires study environments free from bullying, from”
The plan observes that mental ill-health is growing and causes great suffering, and that school shall create conditions for mental health.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan observes that mental ill-health is growing and causes great suffering, and that school shall create conditions for mental health. An investigation that clarifies the causes, including how changes in the school system have contributed, aligns with the plan's concern about the one-sided focus on grades and testing. The plan also wants policy to be linked to research and that student health services actively cooperate with healthcare.
Original (Swedish)
Planen konstaterar att den psykiska ohälsan växer och leder till stort lidande, och att skolan ska skapa förutsättningar för psykisk hälsa. En utredning som klarlägger orsakerna, inklusive hur förändringar i skolsystemet bidragit, ligger i linje med planens oro för det ensidiga fokuset på betyg och kontroller. Planen vill dessutom att politiken kopplas till forskning och att elevhälsan samverkar aktivt med vården.
- growing mental ill-healthdecisive»Den psykiska ohälsan växer, och leder till stort lidande.« (party programme ↗)“Mental ill-health is growing, and causes great suffering.”
- school's health responsibility»Skolan ska skapa förutsättningar för psykisk hälsa och välmående.« (party programme ↗)“School shall create conditions for mental health and wellbeing.”
- school system's role in ill-health»Vi oroas av det ensidiga fokuset på betyg och kontroller i skolpolitiken, och motsätter oss betyg i än tidigare åldrar.« (party programme ↗)“We are concerned about the one-sided focus on grades and testing in school policy, and oppose grades at even earlier ages.”
- cooperation on children's health»För barn och unga krävs det en aktiv samverkan mellan elevhälsa, föräldrar, primärvård, ungdomsmottagning och psykiatri.« (party programme ↗)“For children and youth active cooperation is required between student health services, parents, primary care, youth clinics and psychiatry.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan establishes that mental ill-health among children and young people is far too high and that work must become more preventive.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan establishes that mental ill-health among children and young people is far too high and that work must become more preventive. An inquiry that clarifies the causes, including how the development differs from other countries and the school system's role, is a prerequisite for precisely that preventive work. The plan also links student health and cooperation with healthcare to the same goal.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att den psykiska ohälsan hos barn och unga är alldeles för hög och att arbetet måste bli mer förebyggande. En utredning som klarlägger orsakerna, inklusive hur utvecklingen skiljer sig från andra länder och skolsystemets roll, är en förutsättning för just det förebyggande arbetet. Planen kopplar dessutom elevhälsan och samverkan med vården till samma mål.
- prevent young people's mental ill-healthdecisive»Den psykiska ohälsan hos våra barn och unga är alldeles för hög och vi måste arbeta mer förebyggande och skapa enkla vägar till vården« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Mental ill-health among our children and young people is far too high and we must work more preventively and create simple pathways to healthcare”
- better support for young people»Stödet för personer med psykisk ohälsa måste förbättras, inte minst för unga.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Support for people with mental ill-health must improve, not least for young people.”
- cooperation between student health and healthcare»Samarbetet mellan elevhälsovården och primärvårdspsykiatrin måste öka och köerna till BUP kortas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Cooperation between student health services and primary care psychiatry must increase and waiting times for child and youth psychiatric care must be reduced.”
- strengthened student health»En bättre elevhälsa är en förutsättning för det.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Better student health is a prerequisite for that.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan makes mental health an explicitly stated public health goal and requires that public health work rests on knowledge and that care for mental ill-health is given on a scientific basis.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan makes mental health an explicitly stated public health goal and requires that public health work rests on knowledge and that care for mental ill-health is given on a scientific basis. An investigation that clarifies the causes of increasing mental ill-health among young people is a direct application of that knowledge requirement. The plan says nothing about precisely such an investigation, so the conclusion is derived.
Original (Swedish)
Planen gör psykisk hälsa till ett uttalat folkhälsomål och kräver att folkhälsoarbetet vilar på kunskap och att vård av psykisk ohälsa ges på vetenskaplig grund. En utredning som klarlägger orsakerna till den ökande psykiska ohälsan bland unga är en direkt tillämpning av det kunskapskravet. Planen säger dock inget om just en sådan utredning, så slutsatsen är härledd.
- mental health as public health goaldecisive»Psykisk hälsa ska vara ett uttalat folkhälsomål.« (party programme ↗)“Mental health shall be an explicitly stated public health goal.”
- knowledge-based public health work»Folkhälsoarbetet och de förebyggande hälsoinsatserna ska vila på kunskap och respekt för individens självbestämmande.« (party programme ↗)“Public health work and preventive health efforts shall rest on knowledge and respect for the individual's self-determination.”
- scientific basis»Vård, behandling och rehabilitering av fysiska och psykiska sjukdomar ska ges på vetenskaplig grund.« (party programme ↗)“Care, treatment and rehabilitation of physical and mental illnesses shall be given on a scientific basis.”
- competent student health services»Elevhälsan ska ha kompetens inom både fysisk och psykisk hälsa.« (party programme ↗)“Student health services shall have competence in both physical and mental health.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan places particular weight on rapid and accessible competence for children and young people with mental health problems and describes health problems linked to psychosocial factors as a serious problem requiring action from several actors.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan places particular weight on rapid and accessible competence for children and young people with mental health problems and describes health problems linked to psychosocial factors as a serious problem requiring action from several actors. The election manifesto promises significantly strengthened school health services. Clarifying the causes, including how school's design has contributed, follows from the fact that decisions made by adults have greater consequences for children than for the decision-makers themselves.
Original (Swedish)
Planen lägger särskild vikt vid snabb och tillgänglig kompetens för barn och unga med psykisk ohälsa och beskriver ohälsa kopplad till psykosociala faktorer som ett allvarligt problem som kräver insatser från flera aktörer. Valmanifestet lovar en kraftigt stärkt elevhälsa. Att klarlägga orsakerna, inklusive hur skolans utformning bidragit, följer av att beslut som vuxna fattar får större konsekvenser för barn än för beslutsfattarna själva.
- prioritize children's mental health problemsdecisive»Särskild vikt ska läggas vid snabb och tillgänglig kompetens för barn och ungdom med psykisk ohälsa.« (party programme ↗)“Particular weight shall be placed on rapid and accessible competence for children and young people with mental health problems.”
- significantly strengthened school health services»Kraftigt stärkt elevhälsa med en sammanhållen barn- och ungdomshälsovård och föräldrastödsprogram som erbjuds alla föräldrar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Significantly strengthened school health services with a coordinated child and youth healthcare and parent support programmes that are offered to all parents.”
- psychosocial health requires action»Ohälsa relaterad till psykosociala faktorer och stress är dock allvarliga problem som kräver insatser från såväl hälso- och sjukvården som medmänniskor, arbetsgivare och andra aktörer i samhället.« (party programme ↗)“Health problems related to psychosocial factors and stress are however serious problems requiring action from both healthcare and fellow human beings, employers and other actors in society.”
- child perspective in decisions»Många beslut som fattas av vuxna får större konsekvenser för barn och ungdomar än för beslutsfattarna själva.« (party programme ↗)“Many decisions made by adults have greater consequences for children and young people than for the decision-makers themselves.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan establishes that few things are more important to prioritise than children's mental health and wants to both strengthen child and adolescent psychiatry and develop a national strategy against suicide with focus on children and young people.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan establishes that few things are more important to prioritise than children's mental health and wants to both strengthen child and adolescent psychiatry and develop a national strategy against suicide with focus on children and young people. It also bases its reforms on research and proven experience. An investigation that clarifies the causes of increasing mental illness is in line with that, but the plan does not call for it.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att få saker är viktigare att prioritera än barns psykiska mående och vill både stärka barn- och ungdomspsykiatrin och ta fram en nationell strategi mot självmord med fokus på barn och unga. Den bygger dessutom sina reformer på forskning och beprövad erfarenhet. En utredning som klarlägger orsakerna till den ökande psykiska ohälsan ligger i den linjen, men planen efterfrågar den inte.
- children's mental health is prioritiseddecisive»Få saker är viktigare att prioritera än barns psykiska mående.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Few things are more important to prioritise than children's mental health.”
- national strategy for young people»Ta fram en nationell strategi mot självmord, med särskilt fokus på barn och unga« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Develop a national strategy against suicide, with special focus on children and young people”
- strengthened child and adolescent psychiatry»Stärka barn- och ungdomspsykiatrin så att barn och unga som mår dåligt får hjälp snabbt« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen child and adolescent psychiatry so that children and young people who are struggling get help quickly”
flags: citat_blockerat
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan establishes that research is crucial to find the causes of growing mental ill health and wants to establish a national research programme in the area.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan establishes that research is crucial to find the causes of growing mental ill health and wants to establish a national research programme in the area. A particular investigation of why mental ill health among children and young people is increasing, including the school system's role, is exactly such a knowledge base, and the plan also wants to significantly strengthen student health.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att forskningen är avgörande för att hitta orsakerna till den växande psykiska ohälsan och vill inrätta ett nationellt forskningsprogram på området. En särskild utredning om varför den psykiska ohälsan bland barn och unga ökar, inklusive skolsystemets roll, är just ett sådant kunskapsunderlag, och planen vill dessutom kraftigt förstärka elevhälsan.
- knowledge about causesdecisive»Forskningen är avgörande för den fortsatta kunskapsutvecklingen inom området psykisk hälsa samt för att hitta orsakerna till den växande psykiska ohälsan i samhället.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Research is crucial for continued knowledge development in the field of mental health as well as for finding the causes of growing mental ill health in society.”
- national research programme»Inrätta ett nationellt forskningsprogram inom området psykisk hälsa« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Establish a national research programme in the field of mental health”
- broad action programme for young people»Psykisk ohälsa utgör den viktigaste hälsofrågan för unga och här krävs ett brett handlingsprogram.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Mental ill health is the most important health issue for young people and here a broad action programme is required.”
- strengthened student health»Kraftigt förstärka elevhälsan« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Significantly strengthen student health”
The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2023/24:UbU11)
- Committee report full text (HB01UbU11)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2023/24:1028 — Åtgärder för att motverka problematisk skolfrånvaro av Louise Thunström (S)
- Motion 2023/24:1036 — Nollvision mot mobbning av Anna Wallentheim (S)
- Motion 2023/24:1048 — Adhd-diagnoser hos barn och unga av Lili André (KD)
- Motion 2023/24:1236 — Införande av rätten till punktskrift i skollagen av Christofer Bergenblock (C)
- Motion 2023/24:124 — Obligatoriska besök hos elevhälsan för alla elever på högstadiet och gymnasiet av Martin Westmont (SD)
- Motion 2023/24:1298 — Tidiga insatser för att säkra barns skolgång av Hanna Westerén (S)
- Motion 2023/24:1346 — Utökad satsning på läsinlärning genom stärkt lärarkompetens av Lars Isacsson (S)
- Motion 2023/24:1404 — Ett regelverk som möjliggör bruk av skoluniformer av Stefan Olsson (M)
- Motion 2023/24:1415 — Sammanhållen skolhälsovård av Ann-Sofie Lifvenhage (M)
- Motion 2023/24:1418 — Särskild prövning till anpassad skola av Ann-Sofie Lifvenhage (M)
- Motion 2023/24:1476 — Hälsosam och kvalitetssäkrad skolmat av Markus Wiechel och Alexander Christiansson (båda SD)
- Motion 2023/24:1484 — Avgiftsfria mensskydd i grundskolan och gymnasieskolan av Sofia Skönnbrink (S)
- Motion 2023/24:1515 — Modersmålsundervisning för döva och hörselskadade elever i grundskolan av Jessica Rodén (S)
- Motion 2023/24:1562 — Ett nationellt lyft fo¨r en organiserad rastverksamhet av Mattias Vepsä (S)
- Motion 2023/24:1670 — Avgiftsfria mensskydd i grund- och gymnasieskolor av Alexandra Völker och Azadeh Rojhan (båda S)
- Motion 2023/24:1679 — SPSM och tillgänglighet för studerande av Ewa Pihl Krabbe och Per-Arne Håkansson (båda S)
- Motion 2023/24:1718 — Nationellt frånvaroregister i skolan av Aida Birinxhiku (S)
- Motion 2023/24:1744 — Ett rikt friluftsliv i skolan av Anne-Li Sjölund (C)
- Motion 2023/24:180 — Rekrytering av rektorer av Markus Wiechel (SD)
- Motion 2023/24:1875 — Ett rörelserikt samhälle - åtgärder för att främja fysisk aktivitet av Amanda Lind m.fl. (MP)
Source: The Swedish Parliament