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Outdoor Therapy for Youth Mental Well-being

2024-3-EL02-KA153-YOU-0002689832024Mobility of youth workersongoing
Countries: EL|MT|BG|SI|NL|PT|FR · Grant: €30,674
Inclusion of marginalised young peopleQuality and innovation of youth work

Objectives

As of 2023, 55% of the world's population lives in cities, with forecasts of 68% by 2050 (United Nations, 2023). This tendency is fuelled by factors such as job possibilities and the prospect of a better living. However, increased urbanization is having a severe negative impact on human health, particularly mental well-being. Urban areas introduce a variety of pressures that are not as common in rural settings. Overcrowding, environmental pollution, traffic congestion, rising crime rates, and weakened social support networks are all constant strains on the human brain (WHO, 2022). The stresses of city life contribute to an increase in mental health problems, especially among adolescents, who are more sensitive due to their developmental stage. According to research, the city surroundings can contribute to diseases like depression, anxiety, substance misuse, and even psychosis (Janssen et al., 2016). Furthermore, the World Health Organization (2022) estimates that mental health disorders account for 16% of the worldwide disease burden among adolescents aged 13 to 19. Half of these disorders begin by the age of 14, but the majority go undetected and untreated, often leading to more serious repercussions such as depression and, in extreme circumstances, suicide. The COVID-19 epidemic worsened these mental health issues, with additional global stressors like as the crisis in Ukraine, escalating conflict in the Middle East, inflation, and environmental disasters all leading to a sense of unease and anguish among youth. Considering this alarming tendency, we see the need for novel therapeutic techniques. Wilderness therapy, which mixes outdoor activities with therapeutic interventions, has emerged as a potential approach to managing mental health issues. Even while mental health and wellbeing are becoming more widely recognized, many youth workers lack the necessary skills to deal with these issues in an effective manner. The goal of this initiative is to give youth workers the tools they need to help young people who are struggling with mental health issues, especially in urban settings. In order to better assist the young people they work with, participants in outdoor therapy will gain knowledge of common mental health difficulties, comprehend the tenets and advantages of outdoor therapeutic approaches, and harness natural resources. Objective1: Recognizing Mental Health Challenges in Urbanized Youth: Participants will have a better awareness of the mental health challenges that young people in urban neighborhoods face, such as depression, anxiety, and other conditions, and how they may provide appropriate support. Objective 2: Learning About Wilderness Therapy: Participants will receive a complete grasp of wilderness therapy, its fundamental concepts, and its efficacy in repairing mental health, particularly among youth. Objective 3: Implementing Wilderness Therapy Methods: youth workers will be taught how to actually incorporate wilderness therapy into their work, with a focus on addressing the unique mental health difficulties that urban young people experience. Objective 4: Applying Learned Tools with Youth Facing Mental Health Challenges: Participants will be equipped to effectively use the outdoor therapy techniques they've learned with the young people they work with, directly addressing the mental health challenges those youth face.

Project partners (7)