Institutions including the World Health Organisation and European Commission have called for urgent action to address societal challenges in mental health. Young people have been identified as particularly vulnerable and requiring urgent support. The European Commission recently stated: “Europe is witnessing a worsening of the mental health of the younger generations”.
YouthDMH is specifically designed to help in addressing this challenge. It will focus on the role that digital technologies can play in supporting the mental health needs of young people. Overall, it will consider the ways in which technology can support mental health from the point at which young people first become aware of the difficulties, through to the delivery of large-scale evidence-based interventions. It will do so in a way that ensures young people and marginalised communities have a voice in envisaging the future. The core aim is to maximise the positive application of technology, whilst also mitigating the potential negative impact.
The Action will establish a sustainable pan-European network that is inclusive, interdisciplinary and intersectoral. It will support knowledge transfer, creation and dissemination and lay the foundations for coordinated research on the use of technology to support mental health in young people. Activities throughout the Action will help bridge the gap between research and practice. The Action will also provide policy guidance and recommendations for government, civil organisations and funding bodies.
Main Aim
The main goal of the Action is to enhance research on the use of technology to support young people’s mental health. It will emphasise diversity and inclusivity and will consider how technologies can support mental health from the point of initial awareness through to large-scale, evidence-based interventions.
Objectives
The following objectives shall be accomplished:
Research Coordination
- Establish a sustainable, pan-European research network that includes diverse stakeholders including researchers, practitioners, young people, service providers, advocacy groups, government and industry across disciplines and countries. The objective is to support increased collaboration and coordinated action in digital youth mental health, supporting both short and long-term impact.
- Synthesize, share, and disseminate existing knowledge, promoting the exchange of theoretical and practical knowledge, and examples of best practice across diverse stakeholders and geographical locations. The objective is to share knowledge and develop interdisciplinary methods that enable researchers to take advantage of scientific and technical advances.
- Develop a strategic and coordinated research agenda for digital youth mental health that addresses key challenges and supports an actionable vision of future youth mental health. The objective is to provide a roadmap for future research and bridge translational gaps that hinder research impact.
- Support a high proportion of early-career participants, Young Researchers and Innovators (YRIs), and 3 researchers from Inclusiveness Target Countries (ITCs) by ensuring their involvement and active participation throughout the project. The objective is to develop new leaders equipped with a strong network and expertise to advance digital mental health research.
Capacity Building
- Build on existing mental health advocacy initiatives, at national and international level, such as International Association for Youth Mental Health and the International Initiative for Mental Health Leadership, drawing on their experience and expanding our ability to address challenges in mental health.
- Build a large and inclusive network of researchers spanning COST countries, dedicated to the field of digital mental health and actively engage with stakeholders including healthcare providers and digital mental health companies.
- Establish sustainable collaborations in European research projects in the following ways: (a) encourage collaborative funding applications, (b) continue the liaison established among researchers after the duration of the Action, (c) organize online events, and promote research through social media, (d) maintain the Action website as a resource for different stakeholders.
- Establish institutional and capacity building connections at national and international levels, to facilitate the consistent and ongoing exchange of knowledge and best practices among COST Action members. We will promote capacity-building and inter-sectoral collaborations bridging research and practice.
- The network will offer support to YRIs through a programme of mentorship, where experienced researchers mentor PhD students, YRIs and other researchers and practitioners who identify as unsupported in their work. Early-stage researchers and practitioners will be involved in working groups, Training Schools, conferences, and forming collaborative partnerships.
Background
Institutions including the WHO and European Commission have called for urgent action to address societal challenges in mental health. Young people have been identified as particularly vulnerable and requiring urgent attention. The Commission recently stated: “Europe is witnessing a worsening of the mental health of the younger generations”. Research shows that 50% of mental disorders have emerged by 14 years of age and 75% present before 24 years of age. According to the 2022 Health at a Glance report, almost one in two Europeans aged 15-24 have unmet mental health needs.
European nations have initiated various efforts in response to this appeal. The European Youth Strategy (2019-2027) and the European Youth Goals both call for action targeting youth mental health. The YouthDMH COST Action is specifically designed to address these calls. YouthDMH will focus on the role that digital technologies can play in supporting the mental health needs of young people. The technologies young people choose to use and the ways they use them are significantly different to adults. This, combined with a rapidly changing technology landscape (e.g., the increase of artificial intelligence in day-to-day life), highlights the urgent need for coordinated research in this area.
Youth mental health presents distinct challenges that require distinct solutions and coordinated research. YouthDMH is specifically designed to address this challenge. It will support knowledge transfer, creation and dissemination and lay the foundations for coordinated research on the use of technology to support mental health in young people. Given that 75% of mental health difficulties emerge before the age of 25, and the significant differences in approaches needed for children as compared to older young people, we will focus primarily on young people aged 11-25. This age-range captures the major transitions from childhood to adolescence and from adolescence to early adulthood.
The Action addresses youth mental health challenges through digital technology. It supports research, knowledge transfer, and policy development, focusing on ages 11-25. The project responds to urgent calls from the WHO and European Commission, emphasizing the need for coordinated efforts in a rapidly evolving landscape.
