We need more preventive mental health support: at school, in the neighborhood and online
February 8, 2024
In an interview with de Correspondent, Arne Popma draws attention to the importance of preventive mental health support for youths.
‘We have defibrillators hanging on every street corner in the Netherlands. Many people have taken a resuscitation course. Why wouldn’t we do the same for mental health?’, says Popma in the interview. Popma explains how he collaborates with mental health organizations to prevent youths from developing serious psychological problems. Prevention efforts should extend to schools, community centers, and online platforms.
Read the full article here (in Dutch).
About Arne Popma
Arne Popma is Full professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Head of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Amsterdam UMC – VUmc and part of the GUTS program. Popma’s research focuses on the developmental pathways and underlying mechanisms of antisocial behavior in young people. Together with a group of colleagues, he founded @ease, an organization that has set up walk-in spaces at various locations in the country, including at Lab6.
Image by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash.