There is a boom in mental health disorders in Europe. Youth Workers are missing tools on how to approach it. We are going to offer them some methods that will support them. "Mental disorders present a significant hurdle for Italy’s National Health Service, with the average onset age generally falling between 15 and 35, an age range that is (unfortunately) getting younger. The incidence rates have nearly doubled in recent times (...). The latest Mental Health Report from the Ministry of Health shows a 6.9% increase in individuals seeking assistance for psychiatric issues in 2021 compared to 2020. More than half of these cases (53.6%) were women, and emergency room visits for psychiatric conditions accounted for 3.3% of total national visits. The most common conditions include depression, bipolar disorders, anxiety disorders, and schizophrenia. While personality disorders, substance abuse, and intellectual disabilities are more prevalent among men, neurotic, mood, and anxiety disorders are predominantly seen in women." https://bit.ly/mentalhealthit Sadly, this situation is common for the whole of Europe. "One in six people in Europe lives with a mental disorder such as anxiety, depression and bipolar disorders every day. A silent army of more than 110 million people. (...) According to the first estimates, in Europe the pandemic led to a 25% increase in mental disorders, especially anxiety and depression. (...) In Europe, approximately 4% of all deaths are caused by mental and behavioural disorders." https://bit.ly/MentalHealtEU Our own research (https://bit.ly/ChakrasSurveyAnalysis) underlines the difficulties of young people to ask for help and to manage stressful situations. In many points of the survey, the respondents showed the need to receive advice from expert people who studied in the psychological field or following a guided path with personal coaches and mentors. It is clear that external pressures limit the possibilities of young people to feel comfortable with themselves. Many people stated they prefer not to deal with challenging situations, avoiding facing problems. We are promoting professional help, and empowering youngsters to seek it, but since they are manifesting so much resistance, we are also providing them 1) tools for appropriate self-care, allowing them to work with deep subconsciousness, 2) tools allowing them regular self-care serving as a prevention to sicknesses of body and mind. One of such methods is Arteterapy and conducting the so-called Poetic Act - a deep personal performance (which always have to have creative, never destructive, outcome) allowing people to express their deep self, passing a threshold that was holding their minds back, allowing them to enter a new chapter of their lives. Indeed, artistic engagement and performative creation serve as a vital outlet for self-expression and emotional exploration, allowing youth to process complex feelings and experiences in a non-verbal, creative manner. This is particularly important for those who might struggle with traditional forms of communication or who face societal barriers. Art therapy has shown remarkable efficacy in enhancing mental health, offering a unique space for personal growth and emotional healing. It fosters resilience, boosts self-esteem, and can significantly alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression. Thus, it can provide valuable tools to navigate life's challenges and improve their overall quality of life and community connections. Idea of this project had been born in the meeting of Lead by Nature - consortium of partners from the whole Europe, who were discussing their challenges and needs. A group of partners was formed that recognized the mental health of their target groups (youth with fewer opportunities) as a key challenge they are facing, as well as a need for equipping their youth workers with new tools for facing this challenge, and the Poetic Act was accepted as an appropriate answer. Every partner runs a short survey on the key topics youngsters are dealing with in their lives. Consortium analysed the answers and structured them to following categories: 1. Low self-confidence 2. Broken relationships (usually coming from problems with parents) 3. Lack of self-love 4. Self-criticism 5. Fear of success Thus, we formed the training in a way we can answer those specific topics. Our VISION is CREATION. Our GOAL is to “Promote care for mental health for public through Art Performances” Our OBJECTIVES are: A) Gather 24 youth workers (4 per partner) in Italy for the activity. B) Teach the Youth Workers principles of Poetic act. C) Create group and individual Poetic acts D) Perform the Poetic Acts locally and promote the values of the European Union. E) Organise 6 youth-based local actions promoting the European Union and care for mental health in participating countries. Sources: https://bit.ly/ChakrasSurveyAnalysis