As the coronavirus pandemic rapidly sweeps across the world, it is inducing a considerable degree of fear, worry and concern in the population at large and among certain groups in particular, such as youth with underlying health conditions, care providers and older adults. In public mental health terms, the main psychological impact to date is elevated rates of stress or anxiety. But as new measures and impacts are introduced – especially quarantine and its effects on many people’s usual activities, routines or livelihoods – levels of loneliness, depression, harmful alcohol and drug use, and self-harm or suicidal behaviour are also expected to rise. In populations already heavily affected, issues of service access and continuity for people with developing or existing mental health conditions are also now a major concern, along with the mental health and well-being of frontline workers. Aim of the ARTY project is to: ▪ Extend the competences of youth workers, psychologists, social workers and practitioners in Greece, Italy, Spain, Cyprus and Romania, who work with vulnerable youth with developing or existing mental health conditions, in order to be able to offer continuous support to their beneficiaries, even during lockdowns and quarantine situations, by utilizing digital art therapy. ▪ Enhance access to CSOs, youth workers, psychologists, social workers and practitioners to a guide which links creativity and the role of art approaches when working towards mental wellbeing of young people. The guide will also include practical strategies to help youth with psychological disorders to address hidden pressures and stressors through art making and exploration, showing the potential of art as a healing strategy. ▪ Enhance access to CSOs and relevant stakeholders to an awareness raising toolkit on the impact of COVID-19 to youth with developing or existing mental health conditions. The added value of implementing this project transnationally, is that it will promote the exchange of experience, learning and/or good practices between different organizations for the joint creation, testing and dissemination of the capacity building programme, the guide and the toolkit for CSOs, that can help address a common challenge across the partner countries, the EU and the globe, in line with the key principles and EU’s priorities, as well as, it will promote the strategies of EU Joint Action on Mental Health and Wellbeing and mainstream SDG3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages (which has a special reference to mental health and wellbeing).
The objectives of Arty project were: 1) to extend the competences of youth workers, psychologists, social workers and practitioners in Greece, Italy, Spain, Cyprus and Romania, who work with vulnerable youth with developing or existing mental health conditions, in order to be able to offer continuous support to their beneficiaries, even during lockdowns and quarantine situations, by utilizing digital art therapy; 2) to enhance access to CSOs, youth workers, psychologists, social workers and practitioners to a guide which links creativity and the role of art approaches when working towards mental wellbeing of young people; 3) to enhance access to CSOs and relevant stakeholders to an awareness raising toolkit on the impact of COVID-19 to youth with developing or existing mental health conditions.
All consortium partners built and applied this project to answer some very specific needs related to social and psychological effects of Covid 19 pandemic/ lockdown/ social isolation/ fear and concern the youth and vulnerable populations experienced starting with 2020. Stress and anxiety were situated under high rates and many people’s usual activities, routines or livelihoods changed; levels of loneliness, depression, harmful alcohol and drug use, self-harm or suicidal behaviour were expected to rise. In populations heavily affected by the social effects of pandemic, issues of services access and continuity for people with developing or existing mental health conditions were a major concern, along with the mental health and well-being of frontline workers. To come up with concrete solutions to a very specific situation we built a project to answer the specific needs by developing digital skills, programs and tools that professionals in the mental health and related fields can use to support youth and vulnerable people affected socially and psychologically by pandemic.