Portugal launches new initiatives to support youth mental health

New initiatives in Portugal are addressing the rising mental health challenges among young people. Psychologist Margarida Gaspar de Matos and the Aventura Social team have released a book titled ‘Ser Jovem Hoje’ (Being Young Today). Aimed at individuals aged 16 to 30, the work offers practical challenges and reflections on topics such as self-knowledge, emotions, academic paths, and body image.

The book launch follows data from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study, conducted by Aventura Social in partnership with the World Health Organization. National reports from 2022 indicated a decline in adolescent well-being compared to 2018, with the percentage of youth reporting unhappiness rising from 18.3% to 27.2%.

In Mealhada, the municipality is developing a mental health project through a co-creation process involving local youth. This initiative, which seeks to move from mere consultation to active participation, will be submitted to the Erasmus+ program. The project aims to build responses based on the actual perspectives and needs of the young population.