“Youth Mental Health Matters” was developed in response to increasing concerns about the emotional well-being of young people, especially in current world, which is pressed by conflicts, wars and extremely fast digital transformation. The project was based on Copenhagen Youth Network’s long-standing experience working with youth in Denmark, the Nordic region, and across Europe. Over the past decade, CYN has observed how mental health challenges—such as anxiety, emotional burnout, trauma, and social disconnection—are affecting youth more visibly and at earlier ages. In 2023, CYN implemented a separate Erasmus+ training course called Youth Minds, Youth Voices, which focused on creating a safe space to explore body-oriented and reflective tools to support youth mental health. That project provided strong insight into the need for continued and deeper work on the topic. CYN observed that many participants—particularly youth workers and educators—were struggling to support young people who lacked emotional regulation, faced social isolation, and had difficulty building meaningful relationships with parents, friends, and partners. These findings laid the foundation for the Youth Mental Health Matters project. To validate these concerns and inform the project design, CYN conducted a youth opinion poll involving 335 young people from nine countries. The results confirmed the urgency of the topic: • Over 75% reported having experienced trauma in their lives; • 35% had sought psychological support, and only 2% received medical treatment; • 15% had no close relationship with their parents, and 37% had no strong connections beyond immediate family; • 28% had stopped communicating with close friends in the last two years; • Just 18% felt confident handling personal problems; • 60% reported frequent stress, and 17% felt abandoned; • 98% used gadgets daily, with 79% spending more than 5 hours per day on social media; • 63% had no healthy routines in their daily lives. These findings were also supported by desk research conducted by the CYN team, which included 2 international public opinion polls, 3 academic articles, and 2 studies. The research highlighted several root causes of youth mental distress—poor family dynamics, early separation or trauma, economic hardship, and growing dependency on digital devices—all contributing to emotional withdrawal, anxiety, and a lack of real-life social interaction. The project’s main objective was to strengthen the capacity of youth workers as front-line supporters of young people’s mental health. Through an 8-day residential training in Denmark, participants explored topics such as emotional regulation, trauma-informed support, healthy relationships, boundary-setting, digital well-being, and peer support mechanisms. The sessions combined theory and hands-on practice and were facilitated by professionals from across Europe and the MENA region. A key result of the training was the co-creation of a Youth Mental Health Journal—a youth-friendly tool that combines reflective writing, storytelling, coping techniques, and guided exercises. Each section of the journal was developed collaboratively by participants through group work on the themes of emotions, relationships, values, behavioral patterns, and boundaries. Ultimately, the project aimed to empower youth workers to support the young people they work with, not only by addressing mental health challenges but also by helping them build resilience, reconnect with others, and establish healthier personal habits. The project responded to key priorities of the Erasmus+ programme: inclusion and diversity, by supporting youth facing emotional and social challenges; digital transformation, by addressing the impact of gadgets and promoting healthier digital habits; and capacity building in youth work, by strengthening the competencies of youth professionals to act as supportive and trusted guides in young people’s lives.