Last week, a 19-year-old young man entered a school in Zagreb and stabbed several children, killing one of them. The perpetrator was known to have mental health issues, having been treated in a psychiatric hospital, but he had been released. This tragic event has sparked a heated debate in Croatia about what society is doing to prevent such cases. Similar discussions arose after a more serious incident in an elementary school in Belgrade, as well as other similar events elsewhere.
For years, on the show Perspektiva, young people have warned about the growing problem of mental health. Selena and Suzana from Novi Sad shared their personal experiences:
“I have a problem, but I don’t really know what it is. I don’t have anyone to talk to, and I see others talking openly about their issues. When I face a problem, I attribute it to anxiety or depression, but I don’t fully understand what those terms mean. I don’t know their depth or severity, but I know I’m struggling.”
https://www.slobodnaevropa.org/a/perspektiva-novi-sad-mladi/32421165.html
“I’ve spoken to people who have been diagnosed with mental health problems, and many of them are discouraged by the fact that such serious issues are often dismissed or trivialized by others. People throw around terms like ‘anxiety’ and ‘depression’ without understanding them properly, and that can be harmful.”
https://www.slobodnaevropa.org/a/perspektiva-novi-sad-mladi/32421165.html
Schools, if they even have the budget to hire psychologists, do not give them enough time to work with students. Furthermore, as the youth in Perspektiva point out, society considers going to a psychologist as humiliating. Ljubica from Bijeljina and Amina from Zepče highlighted these challenges:
“I think psychologists in schools aren’t doing their job very well. Students are only sent to them when they cause a problem, and nothing is ever achieved. The typical outcome is that they talk for a while, maybe get some candy, and then go back to class, and that’s it.”
https://www.slobodnaevropa.org/a/bosna-hercegovina-bijeljina-mladi-perspektiva/32764602.html
“For some reason, going to a psychologist is considered shameful in our country. The real problem is that people are afraid to talk to someone who is there to help. In our country, people ask, ‘How can a psychologist help you?'”
https://www.slobodnaevropa.org/a/perspektiva-sarajevo-film-festival/32617958.html
Ljubica from Bijeljina
“Psychotherapy is something completely normal and someone who goes to therapy is not crazy or abnormal, but just trying to work on their mental health and resolve personal issues or trauma.”
https://www.slobodnaevropa.org/a/bosna-hercegovina-bijeljina-mladi-perspektiva/32764602.html
Helena from Zagreb, Ljupko from Banjaluka, and Nadja from Podgorica spoke about anxiety and depression and the tendency to ignore the problems of young people.
“We live in a very stressful time, where we’re constantly bombarded with negative news and it is hard to get quality psychological help. I think that everyone struggles with at least one of these issues, be it depression or anxiety, or other more serious issues.”
https://www.slobodnaevropa.org/a/perspektiva-zagreb-ukrajina-izbjeglice/31894575.html
“I think that the anxiety many young people feel is caused by the political elite and makes young people start to question their own worth, whether they are capable or suited or evean able to live in this country. I think this leads to a kind of mental saturation, currently prevalent, which stifles any reaction or resistance. People do not speak up and say, ‘No, I won’t accept this,’ or ‘defamation is not a criminal offense’.”
https://www.slobodnaevropa.org/a/perspektiva-banja-luka-mladi/32875347.html
“Our education system promotes conformity and discourages diverse opinions. Different opinions and different attitudes are not accepted. And then all the problems of young people accumulate into one big problem, which is that no one wants to listen to young people. And they have been ignored for so long, that young people have now given up fighting for the resolution of their problems.”
https://www.slobodnaevropa.org/a/perpektiva-mladi-crna-gora-problemi/32804765.html
Andjela from Novi Sad offers a solution, while Dzenita Tuce, a young psychology professor from Sarajevo, emphasizes the societal stigma surrounding seeking psychological help:
“It would be helpful if we had more education on mental health—whether through school programs or workshops—where experts could answer questions and offer easier access to psychotherapy.”
https://www.slobodnaevropa.org/a/perspektiva-novi-sad-mladi/32421165.html
“Young people aren’t necessarily afraid of seeing a psychologist – they’re more afraid of being judged by others, the issue is still taboo. What is particularly dangerous in this context is the widespread belief and acceptance of a narrative that mental health problems are a sign of weakness and that ‘strength’ is a virtue, while showing any form of vulnerability is a flaw. That is by no means true. Instead of telling people, ‘You have to be strong,’ it would be better to tell them, ‘Be smart. Take care of your mental health the same way you take care of your physical health.’ After all, mental and physical health are intrinsically linked, they are two sides of the same coin.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CP9HXWvc3c&ab_channel=RadioSlobodnaEvropa
One of the primary roles of psychologists is to listen and hear the concerns and struggles of the individuals they work with and help them find ways to overcome their challenges. The problem, however, is that no one listens to children and young people. Or, if they do, the attention only lasts until the end of the elections.
