Latest news and stories about youth support in Portugal for expats and residents.
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In 2025, there were nearly 3,500 requests for support in Portugal for children and young people, mainly related to high levels of psychological distress, loneliness, suicidal ideation, pressure at school regarding grades, anxiety over choosing a career path, and bullying.
In 2025, the Child Support Institute in Portugal recorded nearly 3,500 requests for assistance from children and young people, primarily due to psychological distress, loneliness, suicidal ideation, academic pressure, career anxiety, and bullying. Anabela Reis, from the institute, noted that many adolescents aged 14 to 18 reach out via phone or WhatsApp to avoid the embarrassment of speaking to their parents. There is a concerning rise in self-harming behaviours among children as young as 12 and 13. In response to recent weather events, such as Storm Kristin, the institute has launched a new online crisis psychological support service for the central region of Portugal.
High levels of psychological distress, loneliness, suicidal ideation, academic pressure regarding grades, anxiety over choosing a career path, and bullying are the primary reasons for these requests.
There is an increase in requests for help due to “high psychological distress,” often related to pressure from grades and social media pressure.
Many of the requests come from adolescents aged 14 to 18 via telephone and WhatsApp, due to “pressure at school regarding grades,” “anxiety over professional career choices in the 9th and 10th grades,” “feelings of loneliness,” “suicidal ideation,” and bullying.