Le azioni previste dal progetto “YESIP - Youth Empowerment for Social Inclusion and Prosociality” si rivolgono agli studenti e alla comunità scolastica, insegnanti, genitori e youth workers, attraverso: opportunità di discussione, formazione ed informazione, quali dibattiti con esperti, influencer e personaggi noti (impegnati attraverso le loro attività nel raccontare le dinamiche e le sfide del periodo adolescenziale e di contrasto alla discriminazione sociale e violenza); momenti psicoeducativi e di empowerment (laboratori esperienziali e workshop) per promuovere i fattori protettivi alla base delle competenze prosociali. Integrando diverse metodologie ci si propone di sensibilizzare gli studenti e rafforzare la loro consapevolezza sulle tematiche oggetto di discriminazione e sugli strumenti emotivi e sociali che possono prevenire comportamenti devianti, dinamiche di vittimizzazione e esclusione.
Il progetto ha previsto 4 eventi pomeridiani per i giovani e 4 per gli adulti, volti all’apertura di un dialogo e di supporto alla consapevolezza. Ogni evento, adeguatamente presentato nelle scuole e pubblicizzato tramite la rete di contatti della Fondazione e dei partner, tratta una tematica diversa, con l’obiettivo di lanciare un messaggio contro la discriminazione e la violenza fra i ragazzi soprattutto in questo clima storico difficile per la salute mentale dei giovani, costituendo un momento di prevenzione del disagio sociale e psicofisico, di recupero e socializzazione, di sviluppo e di inclusione collettiva.
Roma, 26 giugno 2024 - in occasione della giornata contro il traffico di droga, la Fondazione Di Liegro interviene nel dibattito sulle droghe, forte della sua esperienza con i giovani del territorio.
La relazione annuale del 2024 al Parlamento sul fenomeno delle tossicodipendenze in Italia ha rilevato come 960mila under 19, ovvero 4 studenti su 10, abbiano fatto utilizzo di droga almeno una volta nella vita. Nella fascia d’età compresa tra i 15 e i 19 anni, 54mila ragazzi riferiscono di aver assunto cocaina nel corso del 2023. Un numero in crescita rispetto agli anni precedenti.
Il contrasto al proliferare delle dipendenze deve svilupparsi su più livelli: repressione delle attività criminali, supporto e percorsi di inclusione per le persone in difficoltà, collaborazione tra pubblico e privato sociale. Lo scenario complessivo è infatti sempre più allarmante.
Rome, 30 January 2023 - Registrations are open for the training course for volunteers, family members, youth workers and mental health workers promoted by the Don Luigi Di Liegro Foundation and the Fondation d'Harcourt, with the support of the Lazio Region. The course will be held on Saturdays from February 17th to April 20th. Eight lessons held by experts who aim to train participants on youth issues, including bullying and addictions, promoting a psychosocial support network.
Every year, almost 46,000 children and adolescents between the ages of 10 and 19 around the world take their own lives, approximately 1 every 11 minutes. Suicide is the fifth most common cause of death among adolescents ages 10 to 19 and the fourth most common cause of death among adolescents ages 15 to 19.
Close to the International Day for Suicide Prevention, which occurs on September 10th and which aims to shed light on a phenomenon responsible for approximately 800,000 deaths, one every 40 seconds, the picture regarding the psychological situation of children and adolescents, and the requests for help is worrying.
In fact, if with the pandemic the fear for the mental health of children has increased and according to Istat, in 2021 in Italy, where in general suicides are around 4 thousand every year for all age groups, there are 220 thousand children between 14 and 19 years old dissatisfied with their lives and, at the same time, at the same time, in a condition of poor psychological well-being, reports relating to suicide have never been as high as in 2021.
Almost 6,000 requests for help arrived at Telefono Amico Italia from people experiencing thoughts of suicide or worried about the possible suicide of a loved one. They grew by 55% compared to 2020 and almost quadrupled compared to 2019, before the pandemic. The 28% is from under 26s. In the first half of 2022 there were more than 2,700 requests for help, the 28% from young people up to 25 years of age.
Over the last 10 years, admissions to the Bambino Gesù hospital for thinking and planning suicide or having attempted it have grown exponentially, with an increase in particular in 75% in the 2 years of the pandemic compared to the previous two years. From 369 cases in 2018-2019 they went to 649 in 2020-2021, on average practically one case every day.
"The new technologies - explains Maurizio Pompili, Professor of Psychiatry at La Sapienza University of Rome - give a lot, also in terms of suicide prevention because you can ask for help at any time, but they also hide a less positive side, for example relating to cyberbullying. Training should also be given on the use of social networks in schools. Talk about suicide prevention but also about the potential and risks of new technologies".
"Suicide in younger people is a phenomenon of great impact, also because it presents a case all its own, not necessarily comparable to the problems of adults - adds Pompili - often only in hindsight do anticipatory signals appear clearly which had been somehow encrypted Care should be taken if the child is unable to follow school activities, does not apply himself in sports, is withdrawn, has unidentifiable somatic problems, uses substances to a significant extent. Furthermore, young people should be taught to recognize between their peers the person who needs help."
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“CoèSa” is born in Rome, Community is Health - OdV, the association of volunteers, psychologists and educators that will allow young people to work in the area to support those suffering from mental health problems.
Coèsa will operate in via Ostiense, in the spaces of the Di Liegro Foundation which, with the new association of volunteers, aims to expand the network in the area, transmitting the culture of solidarity and civic participation to even the youngest, keeping memory and thought alive of Don Luigi. The Foundation, dedicated to the founder of Caritas Rome, has always been committed to supporting families and people forced to face the problems of mental distress.
Coèsa's activity will take place through listening desks, artistic and socialization workshops where children will be able to support their peers, meeting opportunities in the area to create integrated systems of services in the community, combating conditions of fragility and disadvantage. Objective ofVolunteer organization it will therefore be the construction and promotion of a supportive, active and cohesive community.
"The CoèSa Association was born from the need to pay maximum attention to youth hardship, a real emergency in the post-Covid era, and to promote a presence in the area by young people for their peers in difficulty. A study by the Guarantor in fact, highlights how cases of young people suffering from eating disorders, suicidal ideation, self-harm, alterations in the sleep-wake rhythm, and last but not least, social withdrawal are increasingly widespread" explains the president of the CoèSa Association, Marta Zammuto. “We are aware of the risk that mental health problems in children and young people could become chronic and spread on a large scale." concludes Zammuto.
On May 27, the conference "How to guarantee and promote mental health during war: evaluating and responding to the impact of trauma through the development of children and adolescents" was held in Warsaw, organized by Telefono Azzurro and Fondazione Child, in collaboration with World Psychiatric Association to discuss the war in Ukraine and the children and adolescents victims of this crisis.
Following the meeting, the 'Warsaw Declaration' was drawn up, a call to global action, as well as a commitment to develop a joint action plan to address, in a period of crisis such as the one we are experiencing with war, the mental health needs of children, adolescents and their families.
"Mental health disorders are among the most common pathologies affecting young people - underlines the document - Approximately half of the world's population will suffer from a mental disorder at some point in their lives, with 75% of these disorders starting before late adolescence and 50% before the end of childhood. The situation has worsened in the Covid era: at least 20% of young people have mood or anxiety disorders, not to mention other conditions. Emergency room visits for mental health problems have increased by 25% or more in some communities, with a dramatic increase in suicide attempts and overdoses.
Eight points included in the declaration on mental health, war and other crises:
“We, a group of professionals, government officials and concerned citizens, have gathered in Warsaw to recognize and address a profound crisis of pain and suffering. The most recent crisis is the large-scale violence in Ukraine, which has generated a real new humanitarian crisis in terms of refugees - we read in the foreword of the document - This follows the devastation associated with the Covid pandemic, and at the same time the mass migrations due to poverty and violence in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and the Americas. With tens of millions of people in danger, this is a global crisis that has no problem ending."
Children, "the most vulnerable category of our global community - continues the document - are suffering the brunt of these international crises, with a devastating impact on their mental health. It has been said that 'children are one third of the world's population and our entire future." The future of the world is in danger. Even if we cannot end all violence, poverty, pandemics and exploitation, we can change the future with far-reaching plans and policies, followed by actions to take care of our children in their time of need."
Photo by Lissaa Spiridonova.
Anxiety, fear, worry about the future, increase in eating disorders and episodes of self-harm: 9 out of ten students show severe discomfort, some also have significant critical issues for their mental health after the pandemic. Just as many believe psychological support at school or university is useful, of these more than one in 3, the 35%, would like to use it.
These are the main results of a survey promoted by the Middle School Students' Network, the University Union and the Spi-Cgil pensioners' union, entitled "Ask me how I'm doing", That it involved 30 thousand high school and university students in one month, and was conducted by the Ires research institute of Emilia Romagna.
Returning to discomfort, i28% of students declared they had eating disorders, 16% of which were triggered by the pandemic, while 14.5% had experiences of self-harm, half coinciding with the pandemic period. 10% has taken substances and 12% has abused alcohol.
The pandemic has also produced a change in behavior and habits, with an increase in the use of social media (78%), video games (30,7%) and smoking (18%). On the other hand, meetings with friends, both online and in person (48%) and taking care of one's physical appearance (37%) have decreased. The 64% experienced a change in sleep patterns. 26.2% of those interviewed have already turned to a psychological support service during the health emergency.
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.
Mental disorders among minors are at risk of becoming chronic. The alarm was launched by the Guarantor Authority for Children and Adolescents (Agia). "The neurodevelopmental and mental health problems of children and young people that emerged during the pandemic risk becoming chronic and spreading on a large scale", stated the President of Agia, Carla Garlatti.
Last week the Guarantor for children and adolescents published the study "Pandemic, neurodevelopment and mental health of children and young people", promoted with the Higher Institute of Health (ISS), with the collaboration of the Ministry of Education . The research, the first scientific one of national significance, identifies among the pathologies: eating behavior, attempted suicide and suicide, self-harm.
For the research Over 90 experts were interviewed, including child neuropsychiatrists, paediatricians, social workers, psychologists, pedagogues and teachers. The professionals interviewed - it is explained - reported eating disorders, suicidal ideation (attempted suicide and suicide), self-harm, alterations in the sleep-wake rhythm and social withdrawal.
In the educational field, then, they have been found learning, attention and language disorders, conduct disorders and cognitive and emotional regulation, as well as fear of contagion, state of frustration and uncertainty about the future, generating insecurity and cases of school dropout.
It has also been reported a increase in requests for help for the use of psychoactive substances, cannabinoids and alcohol, while unaccompanied migrant minors have shown difficulties in managing isolation and quarantine in reception facilities.
More generally the pandemic has caused what the professionals interviewed by the research team defined as a real "mental health emergency". In fact, there has been a surge in requests for help which in many cases has been accompanied by inadequacy and unfairness in responses which have highlighted structural deficiencies and delays prior to the coronavirus.
Children, young people and families have often found themselves forced to turn to private individuals with significant and difficult to sustain economic commitments, which have increased inequalities. At the same time, the lockdown has revealed the potential of telemedicine applied to mental health, but we need to quickly invest in operator training and specific technologies to assist children and young people.
Faced with this scenario of mental disorders among minors the Guarantor Authority has formulated a series of recommendations. "Among them there is first and foremost the need for planning, prevention and treatment actions to overcome regional and local fragmentation. The post-pandemic phase can be an extraordinary opportunity to do so and in general to improve the system. But there is no It's time to waste."
"Adequate resources for services must be provided - stated President Carla Garlatti - and specific responses provided based on age, a number of beds must be guaranteed in departments dedicated to minors and school psychology services must be established in order to activate a connection between school and territory. It is equally important to bring about a cultural change by intervening on the educational role and promoting intergenerational dialogue".
The research lasted a year and will continue for another two, involving up to 35,000 minors aged 6 to 18 in the five regions involved in the study. It was validated by a committee chaired by Professor Paolo Petralia and made up of authoritative representatives from the scientific, academic and psycho-social professions.
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In Italy developmental neuro-psychological disorders affect almost 2 million children and young people. Common risk factors and genetic, neurobiological and environmental components across specific age groups can in fact interfere with the process of neuro-development (that complex period from conception to the first 1,000 days and then up to young adulthood), modifying the development of the brain very early, compromising the neural networks that underlie the maturation of adaptive, motor, communication, learning, emotion and behavior functions. The effects of these changes can be evident from the first years of life, leading to the onset of disorders such as autism, language and learning disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and epilepsy. Or become evident in adolescence, with psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and depression.
Promoting health and safeguarding neurodevelopment is therefore crucial in determining the good physical and mental health of individuals, as it is in the genesis and possibilities of treatment of neurological, psychiatric and neuro-psychological disorders of childhood and adolescence. With this objective the SYNPIA (Italian Society of Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry) launched last May 11, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of its foundation and as part of the European Mental Health Awareness Week 2022, the National Day for the Promotion of Neuro -development.
"Targeted and careful interventions are needed to promote neurodevelopment - explained Professor Elisa Fazzi, President of SINPIA and director of the Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit ASST Spedali Civili and University of Brescia - to increase protective factors and reduce the impact of risk factors. Interventions directly to support harmonious emotional, motor, linguistic, cognitive and social development from birth to adolescence, and then interventions to support situations of family vulnerability, greater attention in all environments and life contexts in which children and the kids grow up and much more. Finally, it is necessary to guarantee targeted interventions when signs of risk of neurodevelopmental disorders are present. More and more research - concluded Elisa Fazzi - highlights in fact how positive neurodevelopment, from conception to young adulthood, is fundamental in determining the good physical and mental health of individuals".
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One in three parents struggles to recognize their child's obesity. This is what emerges mainly from the new data from the international ACTION TEENS study, conducted in ten countries on various continents, including Italy, and presented on May 6 by Novo Nordisk at the European Congress on Obesity 2022.
The primary objective of the study, which involved approximately 13,000 people, including over 5,000 children and adolescents with obesity, 5,400 parents and caregiver, and more than 2,000 healthcare workers, was to identify perceptions, attitudes, behaviors and barriers to obesity treatment and understand how these factors influence its management.
The new data highlights that Pediatric obesity has a significant impact on the life expectancy of those affected: in fact, the risk of premature death triples in children with obesity compared to children who have a normal body mass index (BMI).
Parents of children with obesity struggle to recognize it and they often underestimate the severity of the disease, convincing themselves that it will be resolved with growth, an expectation that is absolutely not supported by scientific evidence.
Unfortunately, however, underestimating this disease in children and adolescents leads to complications at a young age, with the development of chronic diseases such as mental health problems, heart conditions, type 2 diabetes, as well as some cancers and skeletal and joint problems.
Finally, the study highlights the need to improve i training courses for doctors and healthcare workers in the management and treatment of obesity as a chronic disease. Second the data collected shows, in fact, that 87 percent believe they not having had adequate training on this disease.
"Obesity is a chronic disease that tends to recur and over time can become complicated with the development of other diseases, but if treated with seriousness, time, dedication and commitment it can be cured - explained Claudio Maffeis, Past President of the Italian Society of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology - The most recent survey data in Italy Watch out for your health they tell us that unfortunately we are among the European countries with the highest values of overweight and obesity in the school-age population, it appears in fact that the percentage of overweight children is 20.4 percent and of children with obesity is 9.4 percent, including the severely obese who represent 2.4 percent".
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