Digital Youth Wellbeing App

<< Background >>Adolescence and young adulthood (ages 16-25) are crucial periods for laying the foundations for healthy development and well-being. Compelling evidence showed that promoting mental well-being and implementing prevention interventions effectively could reduce risk factors for mental disorders, enhance protective factors for good mental and physical health, and lead to lasting positive effects on a range of educational, social, and economic outcomes for young people (16-25) . After the Covid-19 pandemic, the prevalence of mental health disorders among young people unfortunately skyrocketed. This increase was partly due to the inaccessibility of support structures, such as youth work. This project enabled youth work even during future lockdowns through training and preparation for the digitalisation of youth work oriented around positive mental health promotion. The number of young people needing support for their mental well-being was incredibly high. For example, in the Netherlands, the 'jeugd GGZ' was unable to help all the young people in need due to high demand. In sum, now more than ever, young people needed support for their well-being, and this project aimed to reach a high number of young people, exceeding the reach of usu<< Objectives >>The aim of the current project was to improve the positive mental health (PMH) and well-being of young people. This was to be achieved through the development of an online app designed to support young people in developing their social and emotional competencies, which are crucial for psychological resilience and optimal functioning in society. Additionally, the project aimed to assist youth workers in transitioning to digital assisted youth work by developing specific digital PMH promotion competencies for youth work. The target group for the project was young people aged 16-25.More concretely, the project had the following objectives:- To develop and pilot test an online application that would support young people in developing their wellbeing competencies.- To involve 100 young people from 5 countries in piloting the beta version of the application, including half with young people with fewer opportunities.- To develop a residential and training curriculum for youth workers and pilot test this with 20 youth workers.- To develop a self-paced MOOC about technology assisted youth work for PMH promotion. << Implementation >>The project consisted of two main Project Results (PRs), two Transnational Project Meetings (TPMs), over 30 monthly coordination meetings, one Learning, Teaching, and Training Activity (LTTA) and one MOOC. The TPM’s were organised at critical moments when there was a strategic need for collaboration in presence. The two PRs were:1. Development of a Wellbeing App: This mobile app was designed to support young people in acquiring and developing their social and emotional competencies, which are crucial for their positive mental health (PMH). The app can be used stand alone or within an existing youth work programme.2. Training Course Curriculum for Youth Workers and a MOOC: This curriculum aimed to assist youth workers in transitioning to the digitalisation of youth work, with a specific focus on PMH promotion. The MOOC (published on the Salto HOP platform) aims to develop competencies for technology assisted youth work for PMH promotion. << Results >>The project aimed to improve the Positive Mental Health (PMH) of young people, particularly those with fewer opportunities. PR1 enabled young people with limited access to youth work (due to geographical obstacles or health and speech disabilities) to gain easier access to youth work support. This might increase social inclusion of hard-to-reach young people in youth work. Youth workers and youth organizations became better prepared for the digitalisation of their practices, making them more resilient during future lockdowns and better equipped to connect with young people in need of PMH support. The project impacted young people by enhancing their PMH and wellbeing, benefited society by fostering more well-functioning young individuals, and advanced the youth sector by increasing digital preparedness. Additionally, more results and outcomes were anticipated beyond the project's timeframe.