The five-year initiative, called SUPPORT-Y (Supporting the Mental Health of Youth in Education, Training and Work), will bring together twelve partners from eight countries.
The researchers will work with young people aged 12 to 25 as they face the pressures of navigating school, vocational training and the transition into work.
The experiences of the young people themselves will shape the tools and resources developed by the researchers to promote better mental health.
Addressing mental health blackspots
Almost one in two Europeans reported an emotional or psychosocial issue in the past year and around one in four young people are at risk of conditions such as anxiety or depression.
Support is still limited in vocational education and early workplaces, with only a small number of countries currently requiring mental health provision in these settings.
SUPPORT-Y will generate new evidence to guide positive change.
It will track mental health outcomes over time and assess what works best in improving mental wellbeing.
The research team will also produce policy recommendations for decision makers.
Working with young people in our region
Durham’s contribution will be led by Professor Aimee Quickfall, and a key part of her role will be working directly with young people in our local communities.
Aimee said: “It is fantastic that we will be a partner in this major project.
“Importantly, we will be working with young people in County Durham and the North of England more widely, where we know mental health and wellbeing are significant challenges for young people and those who care for them.”
Solutions shaped by experience
SUPPORT-Y will include those who are often excluded from research such as marginalised girls, young people with disabilities and those from lower income backgrounds.
The researchers want to co-create solutions with them, rather than for them.
This approach recognises that young people understand their own lives best and by involving them at every stage, the project aims to create support that truly works.
SUPPORT-Y is being funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme and will begin in autumn 2026.
It is being coordinated by the University of Eastern Finland and includes researchers from England, Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Malta and Portugal.
