- Approximately 35% of all mental disorders onset before the age of 14, with the percentage increasing to 48.4% before reaching adulthood, according to a global meta-analysis that correlates the findings of 192 studies conducted in 29 countries.[1]
- 11.2% of adolescents in Romania suffer from mental health disorders, according to UNICEF data[2]
- Dr. Laura Markham, parenting expert: Children need to feel deeply connected to their parents, because otherwise they don’t feel safe so that they regulate their emotions and accept parental guidance.
Bucharest, March 25, 2025 – Global statistics show that 1 in 7 youngsters aged 10 to 19 face a mental health disorder, a percentage that remains consistent in Romania, where, as of 2019, 11.2% of adolescents were affected by a mental health issue, according to a ParentED Fest analysis. In this context, experts emphasize the need for a preventive approach that should begin within the family.
Children need to feel deeply connected to their parents, because otherwise they don’t feel safe so that they regulate their emotions and accept parental guidance, says Dr. Laura Markham, psychologist and parenting expert. A bestselling author on connection-based parenting, Dr. Laura Markham believes that family play is at the heart of connection:
„Before you can correct, you have to connect. Discipline will just make the child feel less safe. Play, on the other hand, creates a sense of safety and releases the connection hormone, oxytocin.”
Dr. Laura Markham will be in Bucharest on October 4-5, to deliver a keynote speech at ParentEd Fest 2025.
Approximately half of all mental health disorders begin before the age of 18, according to a meta-analysis that correlates the findings of 192 studies conducted across 29 countries. Around 35% of all mental health disorders occur before the age of 14, with the percentage increasing to 48.4% before adulthood and over 62% before the age of 25[3].
Experts emphasize that daily interactions with parents can fundamentally shape how children manage emotions, stress and social relationships, forming the foundation for their long-term mental health.
Romania’s largest parenting event, ParentED Fest, will take place on October 4-5, 2025, in Bucharest. The second edition of the event will bring together world-renowned experts in child development and parenting: Dr. Laura Markham, psychologist and bestselling author on connection-based parenting; Dr. Shefali, internationally recognized clinical psychologist, who returns to ParentED Fest for the second time after the success of last year’s edition; and Dr. Gordon Neufeld, a child development psychologist and a pioneer in attachment theory.
ParentED Fest 2025 is supported by Lidl Romania – Strategic Partner, Sanador – Healthcare Partner, along with ThedaMar, Catena, and Raiffeisen Bank.
Tickets are available for sale on https://parentedfest.ro/ and through the IaBilet.ro network.
[1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34079068/
[2] https://insp.gov.ro/2024/02/01/campania-promovarea-sanatatii-mintale/
[3] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34079068/
Media enquiries: Stefan Pascuta +40 748 883 201
