Promotion of Youth Mental Health through Awareness, Prevention & Resilience Building by creating Holistic, Multicomponent & Integration Interventions

Partner organisation profile: Looking for well-established organisations/institutions working in the field of mental health closely associated with Secondary schools (pupils aged 12+).

Motivation behind the project:
While adolescence can be a period of high vulnerability for young people there is ample evidence that states that early intervention programmes are a powerful prevention strategy for averting mental health related issues.

The aim of the project therefore is to enhance the emotional and mental well being of youth by reducing stressors, enhancing resilience & promoting a healthy start in life. The goal is to create a truly holistic, integrated approach of caring for the mental wellness of children and youth from early adolescence through young adulthood to ensure that they thrive and get an opportunity to become their best selves.

Achieving better mental health and well being for young people, and particularly for those vulnerable groups at comparatively higher risk of mental health issues by:

Building resilience and social connectedness through structured interventions
Normalize rather than destigmatize conversations around Mental Health
Improve mental health literacy among children, youth and families.
Developing more responsive & supportive school / educational/ influencing environments
Improve mental wellness programs and services through cross-cultural exchanges and the use of locally relevant data and perspectives
Create a capable and skilled community of adults to support the mental wellness of children and youth.
Making available consistent, accessible and accurate information
Intervening early and leading to tools and resources for follow up care
Connecting young people with youth-friendly support options that are culturally appropriate

Innovations/Interventions to be developed during the project:
The Project aims to create a set of comprehensive; evidence based implementable strategies that can be integrated with the current educational systems. The developed programs will help to foster social and emotional awareness, enhance psychological well-being, and avert possible mental health issues. Mental Health Promotion is about creating environments that promote and sustain positive mental health for everyone.

The approach will be to create non-formal learning programs using advanced psychological tools that are comprehensive and target multiple health outcomes, involve the whole institution, focus on personal skill development, include parents and the wider community and are implemented over a period of time.