OECD (2021) reports that the Covid‐19 crisis has significantly impacted young people's mental health. Even with the partial re-opening of the economy, the prevalence of symptoms of anxiety and depression in the youth population remains higher than pre‐crisis levels. The worsening of mental health can also be attributed to disruptions to access to mental health services. Since mental illness is challenging to assess in young people, who tend to internalize their feelings, it can be easily overlooked (Heinrichs, 2022).

Optimistic thinking, the ability to trust family and friends, and daily physical activity are all protective factors of mental well-being. We can do a lot for our mental health ourselves by using simple strategies to manage our stress levels daily. In stressful situations, it is good to pay attention to and express them without hesitation since the suppression of emotions only deepens mental distress.

YOUHEAL aim is to empower youth with new competencies and capacities. Young people need to recognise their values and talents, increase the clarity of their personal goals and foster a positive mindset and self-image. This will positively contribute to the co-creation of our societies, especially after recovering from Covid. The project represents a key long-term investment in human capital and assures the sustainability impacts of YOUHEAL in the upcoming years.

YOUHEAL will mostly be implemented within three main activity types: project results, multiplication events, and training activities. In addition, implementation will include evaluation and validation activities, ensuring high quality and relevance of the outputs, dissemination activities, which will promote the project outputs and make them widely visible, and project sustainability, which will ensure that the project outputs will benefit the stakeholders even after the end of the project.

YOUHEAL examination of current state, competences and challenges for personal empowerment

• YOUHEAL web app to support micro-trainings, based on storytelling approach
• YOUHEAL micro-training and storytelling e-course with e-textbook guide to self-learning
• >12 qualified staff members and >30 young learners at trainings
• >42 certificates for recognition of competencies
• >100 participants in project events
• >1000 people reached through dissemination activities