Meet Feelings was a youth exchange program that aimed to address the need for emotional support tools and techniques among young people. This project was conducted over the course of seven days, during which participants learned skills and competencies in personal and peer-to-peer emotional support. By exchanging realities and experiences with European partners, participants promoted active citizenship and entrepreneurship values, as well as created a stronger voice for youth regarding mental health policies.
The need for prioritizing mental health in the European Union’s public health agenda has been increasingly recognized over the past few decades. Mental disorders affect every fourth citizen at least once during their life and can be found in over 10% of the European Union population in any given year. While significant efforts have been made to improve mental health care, a lot remains to be done. In fact, at least 30% of people with severe mental disorders in European countries do not have access to mental health care, let alone those who suffer from other disorders such as anxiety, acute stress disorder, social phobia, and adjustment disorder with depressed mood.
During the Meet Feelings project, participants gained practical skills in emotional support and learned how to create a basic toolbox of techniques for themselves and their peers. Through non-formal education and interactive activities, participants explored their own emotions, as well as learned how to provide support and communicate effectively with others. By the end of the project, participants had developed a stronger sense of empathy and an increased understanding of the importance of mental health. They also had the opportunity to establish connections with other like-minded individuals from different parts of Europe, which lead to further collaboration and exchange of ideas.
