When young people have some problems, something that bothers them to whom can they refer? Free or paid services, those that are offered by the state, region, city, school, university, association, psychological support services, psychologist, psychotherapist… How to choose and how to access them?
The research done on national level for the LETsTALK project reveals that in Italy, mental health services for young people need to be improved, and that accessibility to mental health services should be guaranteed to all young people in the same way.
Free services offered by health facilities, schools and universities must:
- Ensure the continuity.
- Be advertised better.
- Offer also service online or by phone.
- Ensure privacy and professionalism.
Young people need to be heard, understood, to have the opportunity to ask for and to receive help without being stigmatized. Anyone working with young people should be ready to help them or direct them to where they can seek help, and for this reason youth workers should be better prepared, doing specific trainings so they can be able to address these issues with the young people they work with.
It is also evident that we need to talk more about mental health, starting with public venues, schools, raising awareness of mental health and how important it is to talk about it. Furthermore, it is important that services can be provided in all places that young people attend, having at least one key person in schools, sports centres, universities, organizations that work with youth, etc.
The research carried out was therefore very useful to understand the current situation of mental health services.
If you want to learn more about the results of this research, you can find them at https://letstalk-project.eu/results/.
LETSTALK – DEVELOPING GENDER SENSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM FOR YOUNG PEOPLE is a project financed by the program ERASMUS+KA: Cooperation partnerships in youth, and wants to strengthen the capacity of youth workers in supporting young peoples’ mental health with focus on gender sensitive approach to mental health issues.
Partners
- Coordinator: FORUM ZA SLOBODU ODGOJA, Croatia
- KENTRO MERIMNAS OIKOGENEIAS KAI PAIDIOU, Greece
- CENTRO PER LO SVILUPPO CREATIVO DANILO DOLCI, Italy
- Centar za omladinski rad, Serbia
For further information read the project factsheet and visit the website https://letstalk-project.eu/.
Contact Katarina Vuksan: katarina.vuksan@danilodolci.org