29/05/2026
It was a privilege to hear Urs Wursch, former President of , speak at the EUFAMI & Joint Forum. IN his presentation, “Childhood Under Pressure – Young Relatives,” Urs spoke from the heart, cut through the clinical noise and landed on a truth we often overlook: Mental illness doesn’t just affect the diagnosed, but it rewires the childhood of everyone under the same roof.
Urs highlighted a powerful, uncomfortable reality:
🔹 Young relatives often grow up faster. Not by choice, but by necessity
🔹 They are the “silent second patients” – rarely asked how they are coping.
🔹 The lack of family-inclusive support systems means these children face higher risks of anxiety, depression, and their own complex trauma.
But the message wasn’t one of despair. It was a call to action.
✔️Age-appropriate psychoeducation for young carers
✔️Respite that isn’t an afterthought
✔️Peer support specifically for siblings and children
Recovery isn’t an individual sport. It’s a family ecosystem. And if we want to break intergenerational cycles of mental distress, we start by seeing, and supporting, the child in the corner who loves their parent but fears their illness.
shtag