With the implementation of the project "ESTEEM" we wanted to look at young people's well-being from a wider perspective and to provide a complex approach to promote the well-being of youngsters in order to achieve positive changes. This approach includes youngsters - youth workers - parents/society - policy makers or vice versa: policy makers - parents/society- youth workers - youngsters. Provide youngsters with educational information on how to improve the quality of their life and tools to practice activities that improves well-being. Provide materials for youth workers on how to work with youngsters on well-being issues. PROJECT AIM: To develop youth work responses to mental health and psychological well-being issues of young people. To improve youth work quality during and in post-pandemic realities. To empower young people to be happy, autonomous and resilient citizens, who are able to make their choices and take care about themselves, others and society where they live. PROJECT OBJECTIVES: To map realities on well-being of young people and good practices to deal with well-being issues. To raise the capacity of youth workers to empower young people. To develop supportive materials ready for use.
Young people face different issues related to challenges of adolescence and transition period which may include self- perception and self-management, school, family and relationship problems. When young people get overstressed or find the pressure too high to manage, the consequences for mental health are destructive behaviours such as self-harming, mild depression, difficult relationships at home and with friends, anger management issues, low self-esteem and self- confidence, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, disengagement, isolation and dropping out from education. European Youth goals define well-being and mental health as priority aspects of a life of young person and a priority area to be thoroughly paid attention to when developing up-to-date policy initiatives and youth work responses. Mental health and well-being are core qualities of life and a prerequisite for constant development of a young person's potential, readiness to take responsibility and care about their life, build healthy relationships, be autonomous and active members of the society. The needs we have addressed: to improve general well-being of the young people; to educate youth workers on how to work with well-being issues; to provide supportive materials.