HBSC projects

The aim of the Improve the Youth Project was to support young people in one of the most critical areas of life, namely mental health, which has substantial impact on other areas as well. The need for the project stems from the results of studies devoted to young people in Poland, which have been yielding less favourable findings year on year. Parties involved in the project include: the medical community, youth workers, schools, policy makers, and young people themselves. The idea behind the project was based on the HBSC (Health Behaviour in School-aged Children) research cycle, which monitors the lifestyle of school-aged children across the globe. The Institute of Mother and Child Foundation, in cooperation with Aventura Social – Associação from Portugal, have been involved with activities related with HBSC in both countries for many years, with a focused on one particular aspect of this endeavour – mental health in school-aged children. The project aimed to expand the scope of the HBSC study by an additional cohort of young people and more detailed questions on mental health. It was carried out by the HBSC research team using HBSC methodology, but was an individual research project in its own right.

The project was approved and greenlighted by the Institute of Mother and Child’s Bioethical Committee.