CMH Members: Andreas Balaskas, David Coyle, Amanda Fitzgerald
CMH@UCD has received funding to lead the EU Cost Action (a research network) YouthDMH.
Mental health difficulties affect people of all ages. However, 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.
YouthDMH focuses 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 YouthDMH COST Action will establish a sustainable pan-European network, that is inclusive, interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral. 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.
For more information about the Action please see here.