International collaboration to support youth mental health
Mental Matters was an Erasmus+ project that explored practical, community-based and sustainable ways to support young people experiencing mental health challenges. The project ran from March 2025 to March 2026 and was carried out in collaboration between three partners: the Sosped Foundation (Finland), Gemeinsam leben und lernen in Europa e.V. (Germany), and Pista Mágica – Associação (Portugal).
The starting point of the project was the idea that young people’s mental health can also be strengthened outside formal services – in communities, through volunteering, peer support and everyday experiences of participation.
Mental Matters brought together volunteering, peer learning and non-formal education. Its aim was to strengthen young people’s participation, support their well-being and enhance the skills of professionals working with youth. At the same time, the project examined how mental health work can become more sustainable, both in terms of content and funding. One key insight was that low-threshold, community-based approaches can create spaces where trust, agency and a sense of belonging can grow.
Supporting young people’s mental health is not only the responsibility of service systems – it is also about participation, community and opportunities to find one’s place.
During the project, partners shared their own practices and learned from each other through job shadowing periods in Finland, Portugal and Germany. These visits were not just presentations. They involved observing activities in practice, taking part in workshops and documenting insights in shared learning journals. This made it possible not only to compare methods but also to build a deeper, shared understanding of what kinds of approaches work in different contexts.
Practices contributed by the project partners
The Sosped Foundation contributed its Culture Workshop model, where the well-being of young adults is strengthened through peer-led creative activities and community-based participation.
Gemeinsam leben und lernen in Europa e.V. / GLL (Germany) brought experience in inclusive volunteering, strengthening youth participation, training and community work. A core principle of the organisation is “with everyone for everyone.”
Pista Mágica (Portugal) contributed strong expertise in volunteering as well as its Supported Volunteering methodology, where volunteering is used to strengthen social inclusion, agency and well-being.
Project outcomes
Mental Matters strengthened a shared understanding among the partners that supporting youth mental health can be practical, community-based and human at the same time. The project highlighted that volunteering, peer support and meaningful activities are not secondary to mental health work. For many young people, they can be the first place where they feel heard, discover their strengths and realise that their contribution matters.
The main output of the project is the free e-book Mental Matters – 3 Practices to Support Young People with Mental Health Issues. The publication brings together practices developed by the three partners and reflects on what was learned during the project. It is based on workshops, job shadowing visits and learning journals used by the partners to document and structure their observations. The e-book is intended as a practical resource for youth workers, organisations and others looking for applicable ways to support young people.
3 Practices to Support Young People with Mental Health Issues
Mental Matters – 3 Practices to Support Young People with Mental Health Issues brings together the three partners’ approaches to supporting youth mental health and summarises the key insights gained during the project. The e-book is based on workshops, job shadowing visits and shared learning journals. It is designed as a practical tool for youth workers, NGOs and other actors seeking concrete, adaptable methods for supporting young people.