HYPE aimed to improve support for young people experiencing psychological distress by making non-formal education settings more inclusive. The project pursued three linked objectives, alongside a cross-cutting ambition to valorise and disseminate the knowledge produced. The first was to support young people in sharing their experiences around well-being and mental health — positioning them as knowledge producers and contributing to their empowerment. The second aimed to strengthen youth workers' competencies: providing concrete tools, an adapted professional stance and a shared language around "caring", including the ability to identify fragilities without making a diagnosis. The third objective was to foster cooperation between youth organisations and health actors, to build holistic support for young people and develop local health systems around caring. Beyond the project, these objectives aimed to produce mutual recognition between young people, youth workers and health professionals, greater inclusivity in non-formal education settings, and a European network contributing to the evolution of youth public policy.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, youth organisations have observed a marked deterioration in the mental health of young adults. According to UNICEF (2021), suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people in Europe, and 32% of 18-24 year-olds suffer from mental disorders (Ipsos, 2021). Yet non-formal education settings welcome highly vulnerable young people daily, without always having adequate frameworks to respond. This shared observation motivated the HYPE project application. The six partner organisations, across four EU countries, face common challenges: psychological distress, rising suicidal and addiction risks, barriers to care. In France, organisations work in working-class neighbourhoods in Rennes and in the rural area of Redon, where 13.4% of households live below the poverty line and suicide mortality rates are among the highest in Brittany. In Finland, 80% of young people supported by Valo require multiple types of simultaneous support. In Italy and Belgium, young people face precarity and exclusion, with direct effects on their mental health.