Bridging gaps in youth mental health care: YOUTHreach—a comprehensive European strategy
Europe is facing a mental health crisis that will last for decades, impacting the long-term health outcomes, wellbeing and economic productivity of our current generation of young people. Yet, large-scale, comparative research of youth-friendly mental health interventions is lacking. The YOUTHreach consortium aims to bridge this gap and provide a comprehensive European strategy. For this purpose, YOUTHreach will evaluate the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of three existing and accessible innovative interventions for prevention and early intervention of mental ill-health in youth, developed and tested in co-creation with youth: 1) YEAH, walk-in youth mental health support centres; 2) SELFIE, a transdiagnostic blended ecological momentary intervention; and 3) MOST, a clinical and peer-moderated digital youth mental health platform. In addition, feasibility and acceptability at new sites across Europe will be tested. Furthermore, in partnership with young people, best practice recommendations will be developed based on existing and new data and built into an integrated European youth mental health framework. Finally, awareness and accessibility of these interventions among policymakers, healthcare professionals, the general public, and youth—the target group—will be raised. YOUTHreach aims to contribute towards transformation of the present traditional mental healthcare system and providing the next generation with a better perspective in terms of health, wellbeing and productivity.
Authors
- Esmeralda Ruiz Pujadas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6150-557X)
- Mariann Märtsin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3174-9009)
- Silvia Evers (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1026-570X)
- Shane Cross (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5413-8342)
- Gary J Donohoe (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3037-7426)
- Rebekah Amos (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0870-6847)
- Arne Popma (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2170-3023)
- Maria Bulgheroni (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8484-9834)
- Marilon van Doorn (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2396-0069)
- Camilla Carr (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-9347-4430)
- Ricky Janssen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4485-1152)
- Matthew R. Broome (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6963-8884)
- Covadonga M. Díaz‐Caneja (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8538-3175)
- David McDaid (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0744-2664)
- Ulrich Reininghaus (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9227-5436)
- L.M. Maas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0032-0712)
- A‐La Park (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4704-4874)
- Sophie Leijdesdorff (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9930-3391)
- Anita Schick (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2043-0353)
- Simona Barbera
- Jan Rasmus Boehnke (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0249-1870)
- Mauro Percudani
- Patrick D. McGorry (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3789-6168)
- Miriam D’Addazio (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9361-4607)
- Karim Lekadir (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9456-1612)
- Dorothee Horstkötter (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6046-2798)
- Mario Alvarez Jimenez
- Balachandran Kumarendran (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7786-5932)
- Andreas Bechdolf (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4796-3392)
- Siân Lowri Griffiths (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0031-7174)
- Frederike Schirmbeck (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1700-0958)
- Ayshe Yaylali
- Laura Roldán
- Jule Leickert
- Carlos Martín Isla
- Federick Trisolini
- Fenna Hellegers
- Anouk; id_orcid 0000-0001-7890-9415 Boonstra
- Laura Lozzino
- Casper Crombach
- Elena Novelli
- Kristel Habicht-Spriit
- Rianne Pellemans-van Rooijen
- Cristian Izquierdo
- Jim Lyng
- AEGEE
- Giovanni de Girolamo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1611-8324)
- Celso Arango
- Esmee Otten
- Petra Gommaar
- Leonie Burghoff
- Anna-Kaisa Oidermaa
- Maeve Dwan-O’Reilly
- Sascha Struijs
- Mari-Liis Kladoja
- Tom Freeney
- Anna Kessler
- Claudi Bockting
- Shaminka Mangelsdorfo
- Flore Joskin
- Carla Searle
- Ghislaine van Mastrigt (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8053-5512)
- Zjulie Rutten
- Jeff Moore
- Thérèse van Amelsvoort (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8904-5333)
- Raquel Rodríguez
Institutions
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ES)
- The University of Melbourne (AU)
- University of Dundee (GB)
- King's College London (GB)
- Ollscoil na Gaillimhe – University of Galway (IE)
- Heidelberg University (DE)
- Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GB)
- University Hospital Heidelberg (DE)
- Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón (ES)
- Maastricht University (NL)
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (DE)
- Institute for European Environmental Policy (BE)
- Orygen Youth Health (AU)
- Ab.Acus (Italy) (IT)
- Central Institute of Mental Health (DE)
- Vivantes Klinikum (DE)
- Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli (IT)
- German Center for Infection Research (DE)
- Trimbos Institute (NL)
- Estonian Association for Applied Linguistics (EE)
- Amsterdam University Medical Centers (NL)
- Klinikum im Friedrichshain (DE)
- GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences (DE)
- Universitat de Barcelona (ES)
- University of Birmingham (GB)
- London School of Economics and Political Science (GB)
- Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (NL)
Publication Details
- Journal
- European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
- Published
- 2026-04-25
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-026-03033-3
- Primary Topic
- Adolescent and Pediatric Healthcare
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- HORIZON EUROPE Framework Programme