AEGEE-Europe is excited to announce its new collaboration on the project YOUTHReach! Working across 9 countries and 14 research institutions, YOUTHReach is an EU-wide project focused on youth mental health (aged 12 to 25), with AEGEE-Europe contributing to the project’s communications.

What is YOUTHreach?

The goal of the project is, through the course of 5 years, to evaluate the effectiveness of 3 existing promising youth-friendly interventions to support young people facing mental health challenges.

The three methods tested are:

  • Walk-in centres, already operational in 5 European countries and Australia, where students and young people can come whenever they want to exchange about any concern they worry about, including mental, physical, social, sexual, or financial issues. They are free of charge and provide a confidential environment
  • App-based training that consists of bi-weekly face-to-face sessions with a mental health professional and an app-based Ecological Momentary Intervention (EMI), i.e. a digital training program that offers exercises in daily life.
  • An online platform combining professional and peer support, offering a safe, interactive environment where young people can get expert advice, share experiences, and work on improving their mental well-being.

Why we are joining:

We are joining the programme in a time of crisis. Mental health issues are now the biggest factor in the global cost of long-term diseases (more than cancer, diabetes, or heart disease) according to the World Economic Forum. Most mental health problems begin before the age of 24 and can deeply affect a person’s life, relationships and life expectancy. In Europe, nearly half of all young people say they are not getting the mental health support they need.

This program is particularly important to us as a youth-based organisation deeply involved in the question of mental health and its accessibility. We therefore rejoice in the opportunity of working on this project and its promising future.

What to learn more about YOUTH Reach? Follow the link here!