About
Why the Heads Up project?
The need for this project stems from the results of research on youth mental health, which is deteriorating from year to year. The Heads Up project aims to reduce, and compensate for, the negative impact of the ongoing epidemic situation on the mental development of children and adolescents, as well as to create tools for teachers that include aspects of promotion and protection of mental health in the younger generation.
The project is a response to a worrying social problem – depression and poor mental health in children and adolescents. Although this situation is increasingly often highlighted by clinicians, the topic has not been sufficiently addressed by the educational community so far. Moreover, the pandemic that has been going on since March 2020 and the global restrictions enforcing social isolation and distance learning, among other things, have posed new psychological challenges for students, which can adversely affect the life satisfaction and daily functioning of young people.
Challenges
The challenges that teachers face in providing psychological and educational assistance to students are becoming more pressing than ever. Research indicates that mental health problems among children and adolescents became exacerbated throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic and the associated epidemiological restrictions increased feelings of anxiety, danger, and isolation in students. Returning to school after longer period of distance learning and limited contact with teachers and peers also proved to be difficult and stressful for some students. In this context, addressing the issue of mental health and suicide prevention in children and adolescents, as well as conducting a population survey to achieve a diagnosis of the extent to which public school teachers are prepared for carrying out tasks related to providing psychological and educational assistance is particularly relevant, and addresses the current needs of students and teachers.
Our goals
- Raising awareness, among teachers, of the potential causes of suicidal behaviour and depressive disorders in children and adolescents, thereby preventing the exclusion of students suffering from emotional disorders.
- Normalising topics connected with mental disorders in public spaces such as schools, by defining and addressing teachers’ concerns and anxieties. Prevention of tabooization of the subject of mental disorders.
Results
The results of the project will make it possible to increase the competence of teachers. The normalization of topics related to mental disorders in public spaces such as schools; prevention of tabooization of the subject of mental disorders in children and adolescents, and raising awareness, among teachers, of the potential causes of suicidal behaviour make up the basis for effective preventative activities in the school sector.
Tools
The opportunity to execute this project allows to develop specific and relevant tools for working with students, including a series of infographics, tools for supporting teachers in the implementation of tasks associated with providing psychological and educational assistance to students, a model for working with students suffering from emotional disorders, as well as a list of important publications and helpful aid institutions available in each country. Furthermore, the project is going to include the preparation and deployment of an extensive social campaign for the promotion of mental health, normalization of asking for help, and counteracting the stigmatization of people suffering from mental disorders, intended for young people in the 3 partner countries.
Planned outputs
The Heads Up project responds to the real need to create innovative and adequate tools enabling teachers to early diagnose and work with students with mental health disorders.
