TY - JOUR
T1 - Bridging gaps in youth mental health care
T2 - YOUTHreach—a comprehensive European strategy
AU - van Amelsvoort, Thérèse
AU - Boonstra, Anouk
AU - Lekadir, Karim
AU - Pujadas, Esmeralda Ruiz
AU - Broome, Matthew R.
AU - Griffiths, Sian Lowri
AU - Donohoe, Gary
AU - Popma, Arne
AU - de Girolamo, Giovanni
AU - Díaz-Caneja, Covadonga M.
AU - Oidermaa, Anna-Kaisa
AU - Bechdolf, Andreas
AU - Evers, Silvia
AU - van Mastrigt, Ghislaine
AU - Horstkötter, Dorothee
AU - Janssen, Ricky
AU - Bulgheroni, Maria
AU - McDaid, David
AU - Boehnke, Jan R.
AU - McGorry, Patrick
AU - Jimenez, Mario Alvarez
AU - AEGEE, null
AU - Schick, Anita
AU - Reininghaus, Ulrich
AU - Leijdesdorff, Sophie
AU - the YOUTHreach consortium
AU - Park, A. La
AU - Gommaar, Petra
AU - Leickert, Jule
AU - Roldán, Laura
AU - Rodríguez, Raquel
AU - Arango, Celso
AU - Bockting, Claudi
AU - Otten, Esmee
AU - Struijs, Sascha
AU - van Doorn, Marilon
AU - Hellegers, Fenna
AU - Cross, Shane
AU - Mangelsdorfo, Shaminka
AU - Schirmbeck, Frederike
AU - Burghoff, Leonie
AU - Kessler, Anna
AU - Lyng, Jim
AU - Moore, Jeff
AU - Freeney, Tom
AU - Dwan-O’Reilly, Maeve
AU - Novelli, Elena
AU - Izquierdo, Cristian
AU - Isla, Carlos Martin
AU - Kumarendran, Balachandran
AU - Searle, Carla
AU - Carr, Camilla
AU - Amos, Rebekah
AU - Kladoja, Mari-Liis
AU - Habicht-Spriit, Kristel
AU - Märtsin, Mariann
AU - Barbera, Simona
AU - Percudani, Mauro
AU - Lozzino, Laura
AU - Trisolini, Federick
AU - D’Addazio, Miriam
AU - Rutten, Zjulie
AU - Yaylali, Ayshe
AU - Maas, Lieke
AU - Joskin, Flore
AU - Pellemans-van Rooijen, Rianne
AU - Crombach, Casper
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2026.
PY - 2026/7
Y1 - 2026/7
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
KW - Adolescence
KW - Co-creation
KW - Early intervention
KW - Health services research
KW - Prevention
KW - Youth mental health
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105038676538
U2 - 10.1007/s00787-026-03033-3
DO - 10.1007/s00787-026-03033-3
M3 - Article
C2 - 42032069
SN - 1018-8827
VL - 35
SP - 2319
EP - 2327
JO - European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
JF - European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
IS - 7
ER -
SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth