Feeling You(th). Phase I: Research

 With its multi-year project "Feeling Yout(th)", the P&V Foundation wants to promote the mental health of young people. Through this project, we aim to understand, raise awareness, and provide concrete solutions to improve the mental well-being of younger generations. Discover our first phase, which is based on a consultation of existing research and a reflection session between researchers and young people on youth mental health.

On March 13, 2024, in Brussels, six researchers and more than 50 young people from all over Belgium gathered. First, the researchers explained, in an accessible manner, the most relevant findings of their research on mental health to the young people present. Then, they exchanged views with the young people on the types of actions or interventions they consider most effective and what is still lacking to improve the mental well-being of young people. This was conducted under the guidance of 10 facilitators, both young and experienced!

Our call for projects, in which we will financially support projects aimed at improving the mental health of young people, will therefore reflect what researchers and young people themselves say on this matter.

What do researchers say about youth mental health?

We gave the floor to various researchers, both Dutch-speaking and French-speaking, who presented the most relevant insights from their research on mental well-being to young people.

• Jessy Siongers (UGent and VUB) & Olivier Servais (UCLouvain):
  Mental weel-being of young people - general context (Dutch+Fench)
• Robin Achterhof (KULeuven and Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam):
  Social life and mental health of youngsters - results of the SIGMA PROJECT (Dutch)
• Pascal Minotte (CRéSaM).
  Social media and mental health of youngsters (French)
• Arnaud Philippot (Epsylon, UCLouvain, and KULeuven).
  Physical activity/sport and mental well-being of young people (English)
• Lies Saelens (UGent).
  Stigmatization and mental health of younsters in a context of diversity (Dutch)

Which young people participated?

On 13 March 2024, some 50 young people aged between 15 and 25 from all over Belgium took part in our reflection moment. All young people were welcome! Young people with and without experience of mental problems, young people from all forms and directions of education, young people from big cities, smaller towns and more rural areas, young people who are studying, working or searching for work, young people born in Belgium and not born in Belgium

Young people interested can stay involved in the remainder of the multi-year project.

What are the results of this reflection moment?

During this reflection moment we gathered insights into the causes of mental health issues among young people, which groups require (extra) attention, the optimal timing for actions, effective methods of support, and the locations where young people are situated

Discover the results that form the basis of our new call for projects Feeling You(th) in this note (download the PDF), as well as an overview in the visual below (click here to view it larger).