The Danish Ministry of Education has released the national well-being measurements for schools, revealing a consistent score of 3.6 out of 5. However, this measure has been criticized for failing to address the mental well-being of students adequately, prompting calls for a new evaluation method.
National Well-Being Measurements Released
On May 27, 2025, the Danish Ministry of Education published the annual national well-being assessments for primary schools. This day should be significant, serving as a gauge of how children and adolescents are faring in terms of their mental health and overall well-being. The results, however, indicate a stable but concerning score of 3.6 on a scale from 1 to 5 for the third consecutive year. Critics argue that this metric does not truly reflect students’ psychological well-being, prompting the Danish Psychiatric Foundation (Psykiatrifonden) to advocate for a more comprehensive evaluation tool.
“The existing well-being measurements fail to provide a valid understanding of students’ mental well-being,” stated Marianne Skjold, Director of Psykiatrifonden. The current questions are composed of statements like: “Do you succeed in learning what you want in school?” and “On a scale from completely agree to completely disagree: I think the school’s bathrooms are clean and nice.” Research has shown that these kinds of questions do not adequately capture the mental health status of students.
Skjold emphasizes the necessity for a better evaluation tool, one that distinguishes between general well-being, emerging issues, and serious mental health problems. “We already have such a tool,” she adds. The suggested method is the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), a validated tool that many municipalities are already utilizing.
The Call for Change
The urgency for reform is underscored by an alarming trend: self-reported mental distress among young people, particularly young women, has significantly increased from 1 in 6 in 2010 to 1 in 3 in 2023, according to recent findings by Psykiatrifonden. “This trend demands both political attention and professional grounding as we develop solutions,” Skjold notes, highlighting the shortcomings of the existing national well-being measures.
The SDQ asks straightforward questions that gauge children’s strengths and difficulties. Respondents indicate how long they have experienced any issues they might be facing, a method that offers clearer insights into their mental health. Skjold states, “Because current measures do not meet research validation standards, we are effectively failing to address our students’ mental health needs.”
Implementing a New National Well-Being Measurement
The call for a new national well-being assessment is directed at early intervention strategies that can make a real difference. “We need to spot problems early and understand their nature,” Skjold explains. “This requires a new national well-being measurement that has documented validity and can be actively employed, not just for statistical purposes but to develop effective solutions targeted at areas of significant need.”
The current methodology employed for national assessments involves students in grades 4-9 answering 40 questions, 29 of which contribute to calculating four well-being indicators: social well-being, academic well-being, support and inspiration, and order and calm. Students in grades 0-3 answer 20 simpler questions. This structure has remained unchanged since 2015, yet there is increasing consensus that it does not adequately capture mental health status.
Looking Ahead
As Denmark grapples with rising mental health concerns among its youth, the conversation surrounding the adequacy of current well-being measurements is more relevant than ever. The evidence suggests a critical need for tools that not only quantify but also qualify students’ experiences in a way that truly reflects their struggles and strengths.
An improved national well-being assessment could redefine how mental health in educational settings is approached, potentially reshaping the landscape for support services and interventions. It stresses the importance of bringing thorough research-backed methodologies to schools, to ensure that every child’s mental well-being is acknowledged and addressed effectively.
By focusing on valid metrics and concrete solutions, officials and experts hope to foster an environment where children can thrive academically and emotionally, laying the groundwork for a healthier future for the next generation.
