THE ‘PANDEMIC SCAR’ ON YOUNG PEOPLE The social, economic and mental health impact of COVID-19 on young people in Europe Acknowledgements This report was produced by People Dialogue and Change and commissioned by the European Youth Forum. Authors Dr. Dan Moxon, Cristina Bacalso and Dr. Adina Marina Șerban, with support from Alexandru-Rudol Ciuciu and Violetta Duncan. Editor Nikita Sanaullah With input from Flavia Colonnese and William Hayward About People Dialogue and Change People Dialogue and Change is a values driven company that specialises in supporting organisations to develop their approach to youth participation and youth engagement. We work with organisations in the public, voluntary and academic sector to provide research, evaluation, consultancy and capacity building services, across Europe and beyond. About the European Youth Forum The European Youth Forum is the platform of youth organisations in Europe. We represent over 100 youth organisations, which bring together tens of millions of young people from all over Europe. Acknowledgements The research team would like to thank the following people for their support with the project: All of the research participants Asociația “Ghi Lacho” Hunedoara Cansu Yılmaz & Asuman Tongarlak - Uluslararası Gençlik Dayanışma Derneği Deutscher Bundesjugendring ERGO Network European Disability Forum European Patient Forum European Platform on Multiple Sclerosis European Trade Union Confederation Youth Europe Youth Forum Board and Secretariat Jonas Bausch, Drew Gardiner, and Susana Puerto - International Labour Organisation Mladi + Musa Akgül Organising Bureau of European School Student Unions Rural Youth Europe © European Youth Forum 2021 European Youth Forum 10 Rue de l’Industrie 1000 Brussels, Belgium www.youthforum.org To cite this work: Moxon, D., Bacalso, C, and Șerban, A (2021), Beyond the pandemic: The impact of COVID-19 on young people in Europe. Brussels. European Youth Forum With the support of: The European Commission The European Youth Foundation of the Council of Europe Table of contents Executive summary 4 Introduction 5 How was this study carried out? 6 The impact on: Young people’s work and income 8 The impact on: Young people’s education and learning 17 The impact on: Young people’s mental health and wellbeing 24 Conclusion 30 Policy recommendations 31 Appendix 1: Survey sample and dataset details 33 Appendix 2: References 35 Executive summary The end of the pandemic may now be in sight, at least To reduce the long-term consequences for young in some parts of the world. But its effects on young people of the pandemic it is now imperative that policy- people will last well beyond it. This research aims to makers: analyse and identify the youth-specific medium and • Develop recovery plans which fully address long-term impacts of COVID-19 in Europe, and gaps in long-term impacts of the pandemic on young the response of institutions and national governments. people. These require a strong intersectional It demonstrates that further policy measures are now dimension to ensure that they adequately needed to address the long-term consequences of address the situation of different groups of the pandemic on young people’s education, work youth, and the full participation of young people and mental health. The three areas of educational and youth organisations. loss, economic loss and poor mental health now form a long-term ‘pandemic scar’ on young people. This • Strengthen and invest in job creation schemes may follow young people for the rest of their lives, and that enable quality jobs for young people. requires governments and institutions to act today to Particular attention should be paid to ensuring deliver a youth-inclusive recovery. full labour rights and protections of all young people, and outreach initiatives that target Whilst the pandemic has been challenging for all, those young people who are most marginalised. compared to many other social groups, young people have been disproportionately impacted upon by • Improve the quality and accessibility of digital the pandemic (ILO, 18 March 2020). The closure of tools used within remote and digital education educational institutions, and economic consequences and provide additional catch-up support for of the pandemic have already had a substantial impact those who have lost learning through the on young people’s lives. This all comes in addition to the pandemic. Improving successful transition legacy of the 2008 financial and economic crisis and from education to employment is imperative, the subsequent austerity measures implemented by particularly for those leaving education in the the EU (European Union) and its Member States, which coming years. left one in four young people at risk of poverty and • Increase access to mental health and wellbeing social exclusion (Eurostat 2021a). support for young people. The support needs The results of the research show an already identifiable to recognise the link between socio-economic impact on young people’s work opportunities, income, factors and mental health, by providing a non- educational outcomes and mental health. These are medical safety net and first point of access. This interconnected and are likely to exacerbate one another should be delivered through a range of settings over time. The research demonstrates that so far, young such as schools, non-formal education providers, workers have experienced considerable loss of work and youth organisations and online. income as a result of unemployment and reduction in Without measures such as these it is clear that the working hours. Students have experienced significant pandemic will have lasting effects on young people’s loss of learning, and the quality of remote education inclusion and youth rights. A youth-inclusive recovery is has been variable. The overall impact of the pandemic now crucial for a group that has still not fully recovered on young people’s social and economic rights has also from the 2008 financial and economic crisis. contributed to widespread issues in young people’s mental health and wellbeing. The results identify that nearly two-thirds of young people in Europe may now be affected by depression or anxiety. Young people from marginalised backgrounds are more severely affected in nearly all areas. Drawing on previous research it can also be predicted that these combined impacts may affect young people’s lives well beyond the end of the pandemic and any ‘return to normal.’ The review of national policy response within this work argues that, so far, there has been little policy focus on limiting the long-term impact on young people and their rights. Whilst broader economic measures are in place, it is not clear how much these will effectively address or reach young people. Educational measures have focused on school closures without fully addressing the educational impact of this. There are almost no identifiable national policy responses to supporting young people’s mental health either currently or moving forward. Beyond lockdown - the ‘pandemic scar’ on young people 4 Introduction According to the International Labour Organisation These are then followed by a set of conclusions and (ILO), young people are among the groups who policy recommendations. will be disproportionately affected by the current The findings themselves are based on: pandemic in both the short and long term (ILO, 18 March 2020). This raises deep concerns given that, • A secondary analysis of data from the Decent even before the pandemic, young people in Europe Jobs for Youth: Global Survey 2020 on Youth & were already facing significant challenges in relation COVID-19. (ILO, 18 March 2020) to employment and social inclusion. In the EU over • A series of participatory focus groups and one in every four young people were already at risk of interviews with young people in marginalised poverty and social exclusion (Eurostat 2021a). Youth situations from across Europe. unemployment was double the overall unemployment rate. Non-standard forms of work and in-work poverty • A literature review of national policy responses were on the rise among youth and transitions from to COVID-19. education to employment were challenging as young people seemed to be caught in a cycle of internships, • A policy co-production workshop with youth temporary or unpaid work. These challenges to young organisations, NGOs and young people. people’s financial security were exacerbated by the These findings highlight the deep social, economic, fact that age-based discrimination and eligibility but also mental health challenges and barriers young requirements in social protection mechanisms often people are facing as a result of the current crisis. exclude youth. Many of these challenges were a legacy Looking at the progression of the situation of young of the 2008 financial and economic crisis and the people over the year since the pandemic began, it subsequent austerity measures implemented by the EU demonstrates the need for a youth-inclusive recovery. and its Member States. National governments and institutions must prioritise Unfortunately, these existing risks and challenges youth through social investment and employment have only been multiplied during the pandemic. policies that go beyond addressing immediate needs, The research outlined in this report aimed to analyse and that are more forward-looking, and rights-based, and identify the youth-specific medium and long- in order to tackle the long-term impacts that young term impacts of COVID-19