The overall objective of the project is to strengthen the capacity of youth workers in supporting young peoples’ mental health with focus on gender sensitive approach to MH issues. Specifically: 1) Providing Policy analyses and recommendations related to young people’s mental health on EU and national level, with focus on the gender perspective; 2) Strengthening capacities of partner organizations and youth workers to support young people's mental health; 3) Developing the gender sensitive tools for understanding and supporting one's own mental health for young people, and 4) Disseminating the developed knowledge and resources in 4 partner countries and on EU level. With implementation of this project, the partner organizations will be able to offer training for youth experts in improving young people’s mental health and available resources via the developed digital platform that is visibly promoted on their websites and social media and their local, regional and national networks of stakeholders in the youth sector.
COVID-19 pandemic further aggravated and accelerated the further deterioration of already impaired mental health of young people globally (local centers, schools, universities closed, mental health services interrupted, family distress and increased fear). This all pointed the need to support all those working with young people to gain better knowledge on mental health of young people, particularly to provide support to recognize when to provide support and call on for the expert support. The consortium of this project decided to search for the support of the youth work which can be a safety net for all young people in times of uncertainty. MH promotion can be a crucial point in youth work. Youth workers should be empowered in promoting and maintaining the MH of young people, particularly those facing intersectional and other vulnerabilities. Young people of different genders, according to research and practice, have different mental health difficulties and gender socialization influence how they deal with difficulties and accordingly seek and receive support. This and other gender connected aspects of MH should be examined and taken into account when tailoring and providing MH services to young people.