With the implementation of this project we have aimed to tackle the problem of increase of stress among young people. More specifically, we aimed to mobilise youth workers in Europe to contribute to supporting young people’s mental health. The specific objectives of the project were: - Empower youth workers for prevention and management of stress among marginalised youngsters, through development of inspiring and innovative Curriculum, LTTA and the Online course for youth workers’ training. - Empower youngsters with fewer opportunities in coping mechanisms and dealing with stress and anxiety, through innovative Toolkit with multidisciplinary approach workshops for beneficiaries. - Exchange good practices and further develop quality strategic partnership among partners from 5 European countries with different realities in regards to youth stress management and prevention.
We applied for this project to address the increasing stress levels among young people, highlighted especially by the COVID-19 pandemic. Worldwide statistics show a higher rate of stress issues among the youth compared to adults, attributed to factors such as peer conflict, bullying, financial stress, and career orientation. The pandemic has increased mental health concerns, leading to social isolation, disruption in therapeutic services, and loss of structured occupations like school and work. Social media, while providing a platform for socialisation, has also led to comparison and feelings of inadequacy among the youth. Through the work on developing knowledge management among participating organisations, youth workers, and production of intellectual outputs as resource materials for young people, we have addressed the needs of our partnership and of our target groups of youngsters with fewer opportunities to tackle this issue and mobilise youth workers to contribute to supporting young people’s mental health.