To realize the project outputs planned (report, handbook, comic book, social campaign) that led to: 1. Raising awareness among educators about the potential causes of suicidal behavior and depressive disorders in children and adolescents, thereby preventing the exclusion of students in a mental health crisis. 2. Normalizing topics related to mental health disorders in public spaces such as schools and counteracting the taboo of mental health disorders, especially: a) improving the functioning in school of a group of students with mental health disorders; b) preventing the exclusion of students due to their mental health; c) expanding knowledge about the symptoms of depression, which is the most common cause of suicide attempts; d) creating adequate tools to meet the needs of teachers. 3. Comparing the experiences of teachers from partner countries in terms of the challenges associated with supporting a student with depression in the school environment.
The mental health of school-aged youth is one of the main areas of current concern at the European level. Nowadays, depressive disorders are diagnosed in children at increasingly younger ages. According to data from the World Health Organization, in 2019, around 280 million people worldwide were struggling with depression, including 23 million children and adolescents. Researchers indicate that 8% to 20% of teenagers and approximately 2% of younger students struggle with depressive disorders. They estimate that by the age of 18, as many as 20% of adolescents will experience at least one depressive episode. The project addressed a real need to create innovative and appropriate tools that would allow teachers to diagnose early and work with students exhibiting mental health disorders. The project enabled teachers to gain knowledge that allows them to recognize changes in a student's behavior that may indicate a mental health crisis, and provided them with the tools necessary to respond appropriately in such a situation (handbook, comic book, information campaign).