Breaking news... WHO: Two-thirds of European young people were traumatized in childhood!

More than two-thirds of young people in Europe have experienced childhood adversities ranging from domestic violence to parental death, leading to poorer mental health and quality of life years later, according to a new report from the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe.

More than a fifth of young adults reported four or more negative experiences during childhood.

“When a child grows up in an environment of violence or in a home in crisis, we should not be surprised if this reflects on the classroom, work life and relationships years later,” said Natasha Azzopardi-Muscat, Director of the World Health Organization/European Health Systems.

He added that the scale of the problem is often overlooked and its consequences extend into many areas of people's lives.

"This is not a mental health issue per se. This is a social and economic issue and every sector needs to be at the table, not just healthcare," Azzopardi-Muscat said.

26 THOUSAND YOUNG ADULTS WERE EXAMINED

The report examined a survey of more than 26,000 young adults aged 18 to 30 across Europe between November 2025 and January 2026. The survey measured exposure to nine different types of adversity during childhood, including physical, emotional or sexual abuse, physical neglect, household substance use, domestic mental illness, parental separation or death, and witnessing domestic violence.

"The findings are quite consistent. Adverse childhood experiences underlie poorer health, social and economic outcomes among young adults across Europe," said Mark Bellis, from Liverpool John Moores University and academic leader of the study.

The most common experiences found in the survey included the separation or death of parents, witnessing domestic violence, or experiencing emotional abuse.

The report stated that exposure to chronic stress in early childhood, which can result from these negative experiences, disrupts brain development, negatively affects emotional regulation, and alters physiological stress response systems.

TRANSMISSION TO GENERATIONS

Researchers have warned that without effective prevention and early intervention, harmful experiences tend to repeat across generations.

According to the report, adults who had negative experiences during childhood are at risk of raising their own children in adverse conditions, such as financial hardship, domestic violence and parental mental health problems.

Despite this dire picture, the report stated that even those exposed to more negative experiences can achieve positive results.