Universal Preventive Resilience Intervention to Improve and Promote Mental Health for Teenagers

Adolescence is a period of many physical, mental, emotional, and social changes. It is also associated with risk behaviour conducts. Nonetheless, not all youths under disadvantage, adversity, or exposure to risk factors experience negative mental health outcomes. The concept of RESILIENCE provides one possible explanation for the ability of some individuals to maintain positive mental health. Resilience is thus the ability of an individual or community to adapt to life challenges or adversities while maintaining mental health and well-being. The increasing prevalence of mental disorders amongst children (around 10-20% of young people) makes positive mental health promotion in schools necessary through intervention programmes. UPRIGHT (Universal Preventive Resilience Intervention Globally implemented in schools to improve and promote mental Health for Teenagers) is a research and innovation project funded by the European Union´s Horizon 2020 programme (No. 754919). UPRIGHT general aim is to promote mental well-being and prevent mental disorders in youth by enhancing resilience capacities. It has been designed as a whole school approach addressing early adolescents, their families and the school community to finally create a real mental well-being culture at schools.