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OPEN UP: You Deserve To Be Happy!

2021-2-SI02-KA152-YOU-0000386092021Mobility of young peoplefinalized
Countries: SI|RO|LT|EL|PT|ES · Grant: €23,604
Physical and mental health, well-beingBridging intercultural, intergenerational and social divideCommunity development

Objectives

With the project OPEN UP: You Deserve To Be Happy! we wanted to highlight the issue of stigmatization of mental health to young people from the participating countries through various activities, especially in today's time, when young people have largely been left without help due to the pandemic. The stigma and prejudice associated with mental health problems and disorders discourage young people from seeking help; in the case of young people with already defined disorders, they cause social exclusion. Misconceptions and stereotypes about mental problems and disorders are also an obstacle, due to which young people and their surroundings do not recognize these problems and disorders, we attribute them to external factors. All of the above, combined with weak preventive activities in the field of mental health of young people, causes young people to seek help (too) late. With our project, we encouraged young people and the surrounding area to talk about mental health without trauma and hardship. We also engaged in various activities that contributed to positive mental health and gave us the tools to deal with problems more easily. The goals of our project were to learn about forms of mental health and mental disorders; educate and raise awareness among young people and the public about the importance of talking about mental health; identify and prevent mental health problems; exchange of experience and mutual support; to strengthen and maintain the good mental health of the participants; to reduce stigma and discrimination of persons with mental disorders and thereby encourage early help-seeking; to promote intercultural dialogue; embrace difference and diversity; promote critical thinking, non-formal learning and various competences.

Project partners (6)