YOUTHreach · Bridging Gaps in Mental Health Support: A Comprehensive European Strategy

Europe should be prepared for a mental health crisis that will last for decades, impacting on long-term health outcomes and economic productivity of our current generation of youth. Unfortunately, the present mental healthcare system fails to match their needs: 50% of European youth have unmet mental health needs, and only ~30% receive appropriate care. Therefore, YOUTHreach aims to tackle the expanding European youth mental health crisis by bridging gaps in mental health support and provide a comprehensive European strategy. YOUTHreach will evaluate (cost-)effectiveness of 3 existing and accessible innovative interventions for prevention and early intervention of mental ill-health in youth, that have been developed and tested in co-creation with youth: 1) walk-in youth mental health support centres, operational in 6 European countries and Australia; 2) a guided self-help mHealth intervention operational in 1 European country; 3) clinical and peer-moderated digital treatment platforms, operational in 2 European countries and Australia. In addition, feasibility and acceptability at new sites across Europe will be tested. Best practice recommendations will be developed and built with existing and new data, into an integrated European youth mental health framework. Finally, awareness and accessibility of these interventions among policymakers (including HTA bodies), sociologists, ethicists, healthcare professionals, citizens and the target group will be increased. YOUTHreach activities will benefit from engagement of and co-creation with young people and their support network for the whole duration of the project and a lasting privacy protected accessible (FAIR) research data infrastructure and an Open Science framework in the field of youth mental health and health services research. YOUTHreach will impact by transforming the present traditional mental healthcare system, tackling the current crisis and offer perspective, health and productivity to the next generation.