Mental health was the central theme of a youth plenary session held in Torrelodones, where 3rd-year ESO students from various schools and the IES Diego Velázquez spoke. The young people expressed their concern about this issue, which affects the general population and, particularly, themselves, who feel more confused due to social media and the difficulty in managing stress and emotions. A student from the Dragon American School even described the situation as a “national emergency,” citing that 59.3% of young people in Madrid have admitted to having anxiety problems.

The session was chaired by the mayor, accompanied by the Youth Councilor and the representative of the UNICEF Board of Directors. The students, acting as councilors, presented their proposals, which were voted on and approved by majority. However, the mayor and the Youth Councilor informed them that some initiatives exceeded municipal competencies.

Among the proposals, emotional education workshops and the need for counselors or psychologists in educational centers, put forward by the Dragon American School, stood out. El Encinar school advocated for the continuity of sportsmanship and the recovery of municipal psychology services. Peñalar school proposed a healthy leisure program with coexistence activities and talks with specialists, as well as workshops to “disconnect” from mobile phones. Students from San Ignacio de Loyola school suggested a cineforum and parental support, while Los Sauces school proposed group therapy and activities to foster socialization and combat low self-esteem and anxiety. Finally, the IES Diego Velázquez proposed extending local festival days, reinforcing the municipal bus and bicycle networks, and offering more innovative youth leisure activities.

The objective of this youth plenary session is to bring democratic institutions closer to young people, allowing them to understand their functioning and convey their concerns and ideas to political representatives to improve society.