Suicide among Children and Young Adults

The plan points out that mental illness among young people is widespread and that healthcare should be expanded broadly with high quality, prioritized based on need and evidence. A mandatory investigation obligation that ends at age 18 leaves exactly the group with high suicide risk outside knowledge building. The plan therefore supports the counter-proposal's demand for an age limit up to 25 years.

• widespread mental illness among young peopledecisive»Alltför många barn far illa idag och den psykiska ohälsan bland unga är utbredd.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Too many children are suffering today and mental illness among young people is widespread.”
• invest broadly in healthcare»investera brett i vården så att den håller hög kvalitet i alla delar.« (party programme ↗)“invest broadly in healthcare so that it maintains high quality in all parts.”
• need and evidence guide»evidens och prioriteras utifrån behov.« (party programme ↗)“evidence and prioritized based on need.”
• mental illness equated with physical»Du ska ha rätt till hjälp snabbt oavsett om du har brutit benet eller blivit utbränd.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“You shall have the right to help quickly whether you have broken your leg or burnt out.”

The plan requires ambitious measures against mental ill-health especially among children and young people, and equitable public health with equal right to care through society's provision. Expanding the mandatory suicide investigation to young adults up to age 25 provides the evidence base for such measures in just the group where suicide is most common. The plan specifies no age limit, hence the position is derived.

• measures against mental ill-healthdecisive»Ambitiösa insatser mot psykisk ohälsa, särskilt bland barn och unga.« (party programme ↗)“Ambitious measures against mental ill-health, especially among children and young people.”
• equitable public health»Jämlik och jämställd folkhälsa.« (party programme ↗)“Equal and gender-equal public health.”
• equal right to care»Lika rätt för alla till god hälso- och sjukvård genom samhällets försorg.« (party programme ↗)“Equal right for all to good health and medical care through society's provision.”

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 health shall be equally prioritized as physical health and that mental ill-health is increasing particularly among children and youth, and wants to reverse the trend by reducing risk factors and strengthening protective factors. A knowledge base that stops at 18 years thus misses a large part of the group that is hardest hit. The counter-proposal's demands for mandatory investigations up to age 25 align with the plan.

• increasing ill-health among youthdecisive»Den psykiska ohälsan ökar, särskilt bland barn och unga.« (party programme ↗)“Mental ill-health is increasing, particularly among children and youth.”
• mental health is prioritized equally»Miljöpartiet vill skapa ett samhälle där psykisk hälsa är lika prioriterad som fysisk hälsa.« (party programme ↗)“The Green Party wants to create a society where mental health is equally prioritized as physical health.”
• care for mental ill-health»satsa på primärvården och öka tillgången till vård för psykisk ohälsa.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“invest in primary care and increase access to care for mental ill-health.”
• prevent mental ill-health»Miljöpartiet vill vända utvecklingen genom att både minska faktorer som leder till ohälsa« (party programme ↗)“The Green Party wants to reverse the trend by both reducing factors that lead to ill-health”

The plan states that mental illness among children and young people is far too high, that support must be improved especially for young people and that three-quarters of those who take their own lives are men. A mandatory investigation obligation that also includes young adults up to 25 years old is in line with the plan's requirement for more preventive work. The plan does not take a position on the age limit as such, which is why the conclusion is derived.

• prevent mental illness in young peopledecisive»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 illness in our children and young people is far too high and we must work more preventatively and create simple pathways to care”
• strengthened support for mental illness»Stödet för personer med psykisk ohälsa måste förbättras, inte minst för unga. Den som söker hjälp ska ha en enkel och samlad väg in till vården. Köerna till BUP måste arbetas bort.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Support for people with mental illness must be improved, especially for young people. Those seeking help should have a simple and unified pathway into care. Waiting times for child psychiatric care must be eliminated.”
• suicide among young men»Dessutom hamnar fler pojkar efter i skolan och tre fjärdedelar av dem som tar sitt liv är män.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Moreover, more boys fall behind in school and three-quarters of those who take their own lives are men.”
• more preventive work»Gör mer för att förebygga, motverka och rehabilitera stressrelaterad psykisk ohälsa.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Do more to prevent, counteract and rehabilitate stress-related mental illness.”

The plan establishes that mental health shall be a stated public health goal and that the right to care is just as obvious for mental as for physical illness. That the mandatory suicide investigation is expanded to young adults up to 25 years old is in line with the preventive mandate and with the requirement that efforts shall rest on knowledge. The plan does not specify an age limit, so the stance is derived.

• mental health as public health goaldecisive»Psykisk hälsa ska vara ett uttalat folkhälsomål.« (party programme ↗)“Mental health shall be a stated public health goal.”
• mental care equal»Rätten till vård och behandling är lika självklar för både fysiska och psykiska sjukdomar.« (party programme ↗)“The right to care and treatment is just as obvious for both physical and mental illnesses.”
• children's and young people's needs»Barns och ungas särskilda behov ska beaktas i all hälso- och sjukvård.« (party programme ↗)“Children's and young people's special needs shall be considered in all health and medical care.”
• knowledge-based prevention»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.”

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 party programme places particular emphasis on rapid and accessible expertise for children and young people with mental ill health, and the election manifesto promises integrated children's and youth healthcare. Moreover, the right to life is the fundamental prerequisite for all other rights. That the mandatory investigation obligation includes young adults up to the age of 25 follows from this prioritisation.

• prioritise young people's mental healthdecisive»Särskild vikt ska läggas vid snabb och tillgänglig kompetens för barn och ungdom med psykisk ohälsa.« (party programme ↗)“Particular emphasis shall be placed on rapid and accessible expertise for children and young people with mental ill health.”
• integrated youth healthcare»Kraftigt stärkt elevhälsa med en sammanhållen barn- och ungdomshälsovård och föräldrastödsprogram som erbjuds alla föräldrar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Greatly strengthened student health with integrated children's and youth healthcare and parental support programmes offered to all parents.”
• the right to life»Rätten till liv är den grundläggande förutsättningen för övriga mänskliga rättigheter.« (party programme ↗)“The right to life is the fundamental prerequisite for all other human rights.”
• good growing up conditions»Ungdomar har rätt till goda uppväxtvillkor som tillgodoser både behovet av trygghet och personlig utveckling.« (party programme ↗)“Young people have the right to good growing up conditions that meet both the need for security and personal development.”

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 wants to develop a national strategy against suicide with particular focus on children and young people, and establishes that few things are more important to prioritize than children's mental wellbeing. A mandatory investigation obligation covering young adults up to 25 years aligns with that priority and with the plan's investment in child and adolescent psychiatry. The plan therefore supports the counter-proposal's demands.

• national suicide strategydecisive»Ta fram en nationell strategi mot självmord, med särskilt fokus på barn och unga« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Develop a national strategy against suicide, with particular focus on children and young people”
• prioritized mental health»Få saker är viktigare att prioritera än barns psykiska mående.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Few things are more important to prioritize than children's mental wellbeing.”
• 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”
• support for young people in crisis»Stärka Bris nationella stödlinje och andra stödlinjer så att de kan hålla öppet dygnet runt« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen Bris national support line and other support lines so that they can stay open around the clock”

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 explicitly takes measures against suicide and requires standardized follow-up of those at risk of suicide and a national coordinator for suicide prevention. The counter-proposal's demand that the mandatory investigation obligation is extended to young adults up to age 25 aligns with that commitment, since the plan points out young people's mental ill-health as a particularly concerning trend. The plan therefore supports the counter-proposal's cause.

• measures against suicidedecisive»Sverigedemokraterna vill ta krafttag för att motverka förekomsten av självmord.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Sweden Democrats want to take measures to counteract suicide.”
• follow-up of those at suicide risk»Verka för standardiserad uppföljning av självmordsnära« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Work for standardized follow-up of those at risk of suicide”
• national suicide coordinator»Tillsätta en nationell samordnare med ansvar för suicidprevention« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Appoint a national coordinator responsible for suicide prevention”
• young people's mental ill-health»Ungas psykiska ohälsa är en särskilt oroväckande trend.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Young people's mental ill-health is a particularly concerning trend.”

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.