24% of Mental Health clients on Saba, Statia and Bonaire are under under 18

KRALENDIJK--Nearly one in four clients receiving care from Mental Health Caribbean is now younger than 18, as demand for mental health services among children and teenagers in the Caribbean Netherlands continues to rise, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The figure is highlighted in UNICEF Netherlands’ 2026 Youth Advice Report for the BES islands, which examines the concerns and priorities of young people on Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba. Mental health emerged as the number one social concern identified by the young people surveyed.

Mental Health Caribbean reported that 24 per cent of its clients are currently under the age of 18. Increasing demand, combined with population growth, has resulted in waiting lists, while professionals are seeing young people struggling with stress, sadness, anxiety, loneliness, bullying and difficulties at home and school.

The findings reinforce concerns raised directly by young people themselves. Twenty-eight per cent of respondents identified mental health problems among youth as an important societal issue, placing it ahead of bullying at 27 per cent and threats originating from other countries at 26 per cent.

Too Few Psychologists and Therapists

UNICEF said young people described seeing their peers struggle with stress, depression, loneliness and depressive feelings arising from problems at home, school, relationships, bullying and uncertainty about the future.

Young people also reported that there are too few psychologists and therapists available, meaning help is not always accessible when it is needed. Stigma surrounding mental health remains another barrier, with parents and teachers sometimes speaking too little about emotional well-being.

On the smaller islands, privacy is an additional concern. Some young people said they hesitate to seek assistance because they fear others in their close-knit communities will find out they are receiving mental health care.

One 15-year-old girl from Saba suggested bringing therapists from outside the island because some young people do not feel comfortable discussing personal problems with professionals they may encounter regularly in everyday life.

UNICEF’s first recommendation is therefore to make mental health assistance more accessible and create safe places where young people can speak openly about their feelings.

Bullying Closely Linked to Mental Health

Bullying ranked second among the concerns identified by young people, with 27 per cent naming it as an important problem. On St. Eustatius, bullying was identified as the leading concern, while younger children, particularly primary school students, raised the issue frequently.

Participants said bullying can seriously affect confidence, emotional well-being and mental health. Some also reported discrimination as part of bullying incidents and expressed frustration that adults sometimes intervene only after situations have escalated.

Young people called for clearer school rules, stronger reporting systems, more serious consequences for bullying and better training for teachers to recognize problematic behaviour at an earlier stage.

Mental Health Caribbean similarly reported that bullying regularly surfaces during treatment. Young clients have indicated that incidents often occur when supervision is limited, including after school while students wait to be picked up.

The organization stressed the importance of prevention, early recognition of problems, poverty reduction and making support easier to access. Earlier intervention, it said, can help prevent young people from eventually requiring more intensive mental health treatment.

Youth Worried About Safety

Security concerns also featured prominently in the report, with 26 per cent of respondents identifying dangers from other countries as a major issue.

Young people on Bonaire and Saba expressed particular concern about the indirect effects of regional instability, including weapons smuggling, drug crime and the difficulty small islands face in protecting their borders.

Participants said illegal weapons and drugs can enter the islands by sea and pointed to incidents involving firearms at schools and entertainment venues. They also expressed concern about foreign hackers, digital security and the possibility of diseases reaching the islands from abroad.

UNICEF said young people want authorities to take these concerns seriously and invest in stronger controls, prevention and information campaigns.

Young People Say They Are Not Being Heard

Beyond individual social problems, the report points to a wider sense among children and teenagers that their opinions are not sufficiently considered by decision-makers.

Young people gave the local public entities an average score of 5.4 out of 10 for listening to children and youth. The Dutch government received an even lower score of 5.0.

Almost half of the respondents reported having little or very little confidence in their local public entity. Confidence was highest among respondents on Bonaire, while distrust was strongest on Saba.

Many said they are regularly asked to participate in surveys but see too little change afterward. They also expressed the feeling that decisions about their future are frequently made without meaningful youth involvement.

113 Young People Participated

The 2026 study was commissioned by UNICEF Netherlands and carried out by Ipsos I&O among young people between the ages of 10 and 17.

A total of 113 young people from Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba completed an extensive questionnaire examining the social issues they consider important, the concerns they have about those issues and possible solutions.

A separate focus group was also held with young people from the islands to explore the major themes in greater depth. This is the first time young people from all three BES islands have been included in the research.

The results also showed concern about animal welfare, underage alcohol consumption, drug use among young people, the shortage and cost of housing, access to affordable healthy food, discrimination and climate change.

Call for National Youth Strategy

UNICEF said the findings add urgency to implementation of the Netherlands’ National Youth Strategy, which was developed with input from young people in the Caribbean Netherlands as well as youth elsewhere in the Kingdom.

Young people from Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba previously told UNICEF and the Dutch National Youth Council that they want equal opportunities and greater influence over decisions affecting their lives.

UNICEF said the continuing concerns surrounding mental health, bullying and safety underline the need to move beyond simply identifying problems and toward investing in a generation that feels secure, has confidence in the future and enjoys equal opportunities.

The organization is urging both the Dutch government and authorities on the BES islands to move forward with the youth strategy and ensure that children and teenagers are included in decisions affecting them.

Its message to policymakers is straightforward: decisions about young people should not only be made about them, but with them.

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