Sports coaches, youth group leaders, art teachers... in a word Youth Workers!
The need to invest in training It is on recognition of skills of this multitude of people is the basis of the European Erasmus+ project “Youth Workers Promoting Mental Health (YouProMe)” whose results were presented this morning in Rome. At the meeting, promoted by Don Luigi Di Liegro International Foundation onlus and from ASL RM1 leaders of the project spoke among others: Fabrizio Starace – Coordinator of the Mental Health Technical Table of the Ministry of Health, Rodolfo Lena – President of the VII Commission on Health, social policies, socio-health integration, welfare of the Lazio Region, Barbara Funari – Councilor for Social Policies and Health of the Municipality of Rome, Alessandra Aluigi – Councilor for Social Policies, Rome Municipality. The day was also an opportunity for reflect together to the European partners of England, Greece and Romania on new challenges related to the mental health of young people, which our society is facing as never before in this moment of pandemic.
“Those who suffer from forms of mental distress during childhood and adolescence risk experiencing not only poorer mental health in adulthood, but also greater difficulties in relationships and life in general." declares Luigina Di Liegro, General Secretary of the Di Liegro Foundation “For this knowledge intercept signals of discomfort, intervene in a timely, effective manner and inclusive are essential skills for those who work together with young people. Thanks to this project” goes on “we had the opportunity to share and export our good practices for mental health; develop shared interventions and make them available to Youth workers, to ensure the full and harmonious growth of all citizens of tomorrow.”The Youth Worker is a profile expressly recognized within European youth policies and a precious resource in our country too. A varied galaxy that involves in various capacities a large number of people who, operating along the edge in informal contexts, play a strategic role for the well-being and health of children: from the sport, to that of cultural and artistic activities, recreational, from the activities of socialization and recreational a to social assistance and civil protection. Organizations of Volunteering, associations, businesses and social cooperatives, non-profit organizations which, without counting those who voluntarily make their skills available, have overall 861.919 employees (Istat data 2019).
PROJECT
Started even before the pandemic by Don Luigi Di Liegro International Foundation and the ASL Rome 1 with partners from Great Britain, Romania and Greece, the “YouproMe” project aims to offer Youth Workers shared models and useful operational tools to be able to intervene effectively the well-being and mental health of young people.
Materials and documents, free and downloadable from the site www.youpromeproject.eu , which you can draw on to broaden your skills, orient yourself on the topic and find practical suggestions for activities and interventions in the field.
A strategic project given the dramatic psychological consequencesof Covid on the younger ones, who did not have the opportunity to peacefully experience the fundamental moments of their growth. Data which require immediate interventions and at different levels, in synergy between educational and socio-health institutions.Compared to the pre-pandemic period, the cases of depression, anxiety among teenagers have more than doubled (Data published by Jama Pediatrics).
A study from the Meyer Children's Hospital in Florence reports that patients with food disorders they increased 4 times compared to previous years (June 2021 data).The latest observations conducted by the Bambino Gesù Hospital in Rome speak of an increase in 30% attempts to suicide And self-harm among the younger ones.
Finally, data from the Mental Health Department of ASL Roma 1 confirm that the pandemic has led to an average increase in the incidence of mental disorders in adolescence of 30%, with tips of 70% in eating disorders. Most of these are brain disorders emotional-affective regulation, mainly self-harm and suicide attempts, poly-substance abuse resulting in psychotic episodes, unstable eating behaviors, live and online violence; less frequent, but no less worrying, are disorders defined as "internalizing": isolation, sleep-wake rhythm inversion, hikikomori, etc.THE STORIES
“When I was a schoolboy" tells Philip, 18 years old interviewed within the Project “My friend Daniele and I had great difficulty studying. Both in understanding the explanations of the professors, who also tried their hardest with us, and in learning about the books. Every opportunity was a good one to escape. In the end" continues in his strong Roman accent “To recover they forced us to go to an after-school program. There was a boy there who was a little older than us to help us... I don't even remember his name, but he had a way of speaking that made us want to study. More to me than to Daniele to tell the truth" he concludes laughing “But he never gave up and, in the end, we both got to the diploma.” Francesca, 27 years old, he has a degree in animal breeding and dog education, obtained at the University of Pisa, where thanks to his thesis on "Pet Therapy" he found a way to combine his love for animals with the desire to help people more fragile. But his passions don't end there. “Since I was a girl I have always played volleyball.” tells "For this reason, when they asked me to participate as a coach in the project to start practicing sports in my neighborhood middle school, I accepted with enthusiasm..” An experience interrupted due to the restrictions due to Covid, but which still allowed Francesca to enter into relationships with many boys and girls between 11 and 14 years old. “Playing helped everyone! Both the more competent kids and the less sporty ones, at least in appearance. A few meetings were enough to bring out hidden abilities in each of us.” Goes on "The more experienced gave some advice to the more insecure, who thus gained fluency and ease even off the pitch. Being together and playing did the rest, helping the older ones, including me, to listen and help”.
Don Gabriele he is a young priest of 32 years old, engaged in his mission as assistant parish priest in a parish on the outskirts of Rome. “Every day I meet many boys and girls: in the oratory, in the scout group where I am an assistant, in Church. I feel to all intents and purposes like an informal educator and as such I always need new tools. In the first place for me there is certainly the desire to share experiences and interact with competent people, in order to have more strength and incisiveness in dealing with youth problems.”. He continues talking about his experience “I have seen first-hand the discomfort that the pandemic has brought with it, sometimes bringing out latent problems. At the same time there is a great desire for life and rebirth in the children. Being together, having adults at their side with whom they can enter into positive relationships, has helped them and continues to help them overcome obstacles and barriers (including forced distancing and masks). Their positive potential is there, you just need to give them support and accompaniment. To do it best and grow together with them, there are never enough opportunities.”
Silvia she is 24 years old and has so much energy and desire to do that it is difficult to fit her into a single definition. She is at the same time a volunteer, a scout leader, a young graduate in Clinical Psychology and we could continue for a while! Among the many reasons that led her to be interested in the "Youprome" project, she chose to talk to us about her internship experience with kids who have various mental health problems. “The project in which I am involved involves children between 14 and 18 years old in informal and socio-rehabilitative activities. Through hippotherapy, for example, we make them live a new experience: for once they are the ones who take care of and pay attention to someone other than themselves. In the care of the horse, in the foster relationship they are committed, they have fun, they feel lighter.” Here I understood how necessary it is to combine the theory studied in books with practice, contact, relationships. With the Youprome project" explains “I have found new resources for my work: tools designed and tested for children who suffer from mental distress in this age group to draw on for new and stimulating activities for everyone.”
