Mental Health

Get to know the issues...

"Ultimately, there is no health
without mental health."

First things first...

What is mental health?

Mental health refers to the ability to think, feel and react in a way that is required to live your life in normal conditions.

 

Strong mental health is the ability to be resilient in stressful conditions. In poor mental health conditions, young people may find themselves overthinking, feeling or reacting becomes difficult, or impossible to cope with.

The World Health Organisation highlights, in their latest report, the urgent need to transform mental health and mental health care.

why it matters!

“Mental health is a lot more than the absence of illness: it is an intrinsic part of our individual and collective health and well-being” (WHO).

Here are some of the major consequences associated with mental health issues:

Emotional
disorders

Depression is the fourth leading cause of illness and disability among people aged 15-19 years on a global scale. Anxiety is said to be the ninth leading cause.

Behavioural
disorders

This is the second leading cause for people aged 10-14 and eleventh leading cause for people between 15 – 19 years

Eating
disorders

They usually appear in childhood and early adolescence. And coexist with depression or anxiety

Suicide &
self harm

Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among young people. Mental problems play a key role alongside depression and hopelessness which are attributed to 9 out of 10 cases of suicide.

OUR RESEARCH... OUR RESEARCH... OUR RESEARCH... OUR RESEARCH

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES... ADDITIONAL RESOURCES...

RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH

We've done some
digging for you
...

We want to eliminate inefficiencies when attempts are made to solve social or environmental challenges. To achieve this, we are sharing useful knowledge and disseminating research findings that’s relevant for CYF 2022.

Below, you will discover research insights from the following sources:

Manifesto on Students’ Mental Health

This Manifesto is a product of a study session on mental health organized by the International Youth Health Organization and the European Students Union, supported by European Youth Centre in Budapest by Council of Europe.

 

There is a Call to Action for (1) governments, (2) university leadership, (3) faculty members/academic staff, (4) healthcare professionals, (5) NGOs and civil society, (6) student unions, and (7) students.

Key insights:

“We demand governments adopt a national
mental health strategy/action plan, through a
consultative process with all relevant
stakeholders – including university students,
and allocate funds necessary for the
implementation of the strategy. In addition,
we encourage governments to do the
constant monitoring and evaluation of the
implementation of the strategy.”

“Governments and respective Ministries to increase the number of mental health professionals working with university students. We invite health insurance companies to consider having psychotherapy sessions covered (reimbursed) for students.”

“Students living with a mental health disorder can be involved as mental health ambassadors, promote the fight against stigma and the importance of students’ mental health through their experience, and present the mental health issues as a normal phenomenon that shouldn’t be stigmatized.”

University leadership needs to ” … conduct research among students and staff and create a concrete action plan based on the results with measurable elements, evaluation periods, criteria, and most importantly, monitoring. In this strategy, some of the key points should cover accessibility, availability, quality, and acceptability.”

UNESCO Insights - Youth as Researchers

Launched at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, UNESCO’s “Youth As Researchers on COVID-19” is a signature global youth-led research initiative that consolidates evidence from youth across the world on their experiences of, and impactful action during, the global COVID-19 pandemic.

 

This global study focused on the impact of COVID-19 on youth well-being.

Key insights:

There is a need to “[i]ntegrate community-based interventions that promote services and reduce stigma into government policies and programmes, as a means to increase mental health awareness, address mental health illiteracy and break down cultural barriers.”

Introduce university online motivation and counselling sessions for students, including by
promoting peer-counseling and student engagement related to improving youth mental
health.

Expand access to information from trusted international/government bodies through
improved social media presence promoting mental wellness, exercise and social connection.

Mental Health in Academia

The ReMO COST Action focuses on well-being and mental health within academia, a theme of strategic importance for the European Research Area. The ReMO network, composed of academics, practitioners, policy makers, and consultants for higher education institutions, is an international mix of scientific knowledge and practice on researcher mental health and well-being

 

Their aims are to (1) establish a global discussion forum about mental well-being, (2) collect evidence pertaining to researcher well-being in an open Evidence Hub, and (3) launch the Researcher Well-being Ambassador Programme.

Key insights:

“Ongoing dialogue between all relevant stakeholders; systematic and structured data collection for evidence-based policy making; dissemination of state-of-the-art evidence and tools addressing mental health; and revising the academic reward system

Recognizing mental health and well-being issues; sharing best practices across institutions; development of fair and personalized research performance assessment; addressing well-being in doctoral and staff professionalization; supporting change initiatives at the organizational level.

Supporting grassroots initiatives; peer-to-peer support actions; a person-centered approach to training and career management; anecdotal evidence collection

Track 2:

Diplomacy &
International Affairs

[1] Find your track. [2] Join our online info session. [3] Apply!

This track provides aspiring diplomats and those interested in international public servants with in-depth knowledge and practical skills essential for a successful career in international relations. Participants will engage in workshops on diplomatic protocol, cultural diplomacy, and science diplomacy, alongside visits to embassies and relevant international organisations. These activities offer hands-on experience and insights into diplomatic practices and international development, helping participants develop the necessary skills and network to excel within international organisations.

Aspiring diplomats – International relations enthusiasts interested in careers in diplomacy, international development, and global cooperation.

International public servants – Students and young professionals interested in pursuing a career at an international organisation like the United Nations, UNESCO, UNHCR, or UNICEF, for example, without necessarily wanting to be a diplomat (i.e.  remaining independent of any single nation’s government). Interests may include advancing global peace, international development, and human rights.

  • Embassies in Hungary
  • International organisations
  • EU agencies
  • United Nations headquarters in Vienna

Track 1:

Civil Society & Public Administration

[1] Find your track. [2] Join our online info session. [3] Apply!

This track equips aspiring public servants and NGO leaders with the skills and knowledge necessary for impactful community work. Participants will attend workshops on introduction to nonprofit management and civic engagement, effective altruism, social innovation, design thinking, community engagement, and fundraising. Additionally, visits to local NGOs and municipalities will provide practical insights into the functioning and challenges of civic organizations. This track aims to foster effective leadership and innovative thinking in addressing social issues.

(Aspiring) public servants – Students and young professionals who work, or aspire to work, in government departments or local municipalities in their country, and who seek to enhance their skills, network, effectiveness in public administration and ability to improve their communities.

(Aspiring) non-profit founders – Passionate individuals interested in creating and leading non-profit organisations focused on addressing social and environmental issues.

Young changemakers and community organisers – Young leaders dedicated to mobilising communities and fostering grassroots movements to drive social change. This includes environmental advocates committed to promoting sustainable practices and policies to combat environmental issues.

  • Local municipalities
  • Established NGOs
  • United Nations headquarters in Vienna

Events, Marketing & Communications

The following roles are currently available:

The role consists of:

  • Manage pre-event planning of events, including assisting with the promotions, logistics, and general management of events, workshops and training courses.
  • Liaise with (strategic) partners, youth networks and key contact persons where relevant.
  • Manage feedback loops and produce post-event evaluations and content to inform future events.

 

Location: This role can be done in Budapest (Hungary) or remotely, from anywhere in the world.

Qualifications: No formal qualifications are required. However, the candidate should have previous demonstrable experience.

Skills and requirements:

  • High level of organisational skills
  • Attention to detail;
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills,
  • Time-management skills
  • Flexible, target-driven, and proactive.

The role consists of:

  • Launch and coordinate fundraising campaigns to support the projects and activities of the organisation.
  • Further develop an internal guideline document that briefly summarises our various types of fundraising techniques.
  • Perform risk management to minimize any risks related to fundraising.
  • Continuously explore creative ways to raise funds, including continuously searching
    for potential donors or fundraising partners.

 

Location: This role can be done in Budapest (Hungary) or remotely, from anywhere in the world.

Qualifications: No formal qualifications are required. However, the candidate should have previous demonstrable experience.

Skills and requirements:

  • Excellent communication and writing skills,
  • Excellent way of expressing ones thoughts, and having persuasive tactics.
  • Good written and research skills to prepare compelling concept notes to help generate funds.

The role consists of:

  • Assisting with the preparation, promotion and management of scientific conferences (hybrid).
  • Keeping in contact with speakers and presenters.
  • Managing and coordinating event logistics on the day of the event.
  • Producing post-event evaluations and feedback to inform future events.

 

Location: This role can be done in Budapest (Hungary) or remotely, from anywhere in the world.

Qualifications: No formal qualifications are required. However, the candidate should have previous demonstrable experience.

Skills and requirements:

  • High level of organisational skills
  • Attention to detail;
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills,
  • Time-management skills
  • Flexible, target-driven, and proactive.

The role consists of:

  • Assist with the development and constant review of the brand and marketing strategy.
  • Ensure that the organisation’s branding and artwork for all its activities and projects is
    consistent and appropriately aligned with the Brand Standards Guide.
  • Consistently promote the organisation, its projects and its activities in an effective
    and efficient manner, together with a team, through a unified brand voice.

Location: This role can be done in Budapest (Hungary) or remotely, from anywhere in the world.

Qualifications: No formal qualifications are required. However, the candidate should have previous demonstrable experience.

Skills and requirements:

  • Creativity; and attention to details;

Website, Developer &
IT-related roles

The following roles are currently available:

The role consists of:

  • Create custom web experiences with the latest web technologies.
  • Ensure that the website is appealing to the target audience and catches attention.
  • Design accessible web user interfaces (UI), enhance platforms with custom style sheets.

 

Location: This role can be done in Budapest (Hungary) or remotely, from anywhere in the world.

Qualifications: No formal qualifications are required. However, the candidate should have previous demonstrable experience.

Skills and requirements:

  • Experience with building visually appealing websites from the design standpoint.
  • Experience in using common CMS systems, like WordPress and Drupal.
  • Comfortable with CSS and preferably has a basic understanding of popular web technologies and frameworks.
  • High level understanding of web design concepts, UI principles
  • Basic experience in app UI design (for example the UI builder of Android Studio).

The role consists of:

  • Keep website fully functional at all times, inform colleagues of any expected downtime.
  • Deploy and update WordPress ecosystem components.
  • Make sure the site’s user interface is easily accessible for most users.

 

Location: This role can be done in Budapest (Hungary) or remotely, from anywhere in the world.

Qualifications: No formal qualifications are required. However, the candidate should have previous demonstrable experience.

Skills and requirements:

  • Thrives in the WordPress ecosystem, is aware of new trends and has a good command of the most popular web technologies (HTML, CSS, Javascript);
  • Has a UX-first mindset, is able to create modern and accessible wireframes/concepts and iterate fast on ideas;
  • Can develop complex webpages using Theme Builders like Elementor or Divi;
  • Has experience in creating webpages with WordPress, using plugins;
  • Is able to provide technical support to all users of the website(s).

Content Creation
& Design

The following roles are currently available:

The role consists of:

  • Produce written or verbal content that is clear and persuasive for our target audience for various platforms in a way that is consistent with our brand strategy and voice (articles, blogs, podcasts, newsletter texts, etc.).

  • Assist with the development of creative ideas and concepts for advertising, social
    media, or crowdfunding  campaigns.

  • Help drive brand consistency across all communication platforms

Location: This role can be done in Budapest (Hungary) or remotely, from anywhere in the world.

Qualifications: No formal qualifications required. However, the candidate should have previous demonstrable experience.

Skills and requirements:

  • Experience in copywriting for multiple social media campaigns.
  • Creative and curiosity.
  • Ability to collaborate and communicate with team members.
  • High attention to details.
  • Creative copy writing experience an added bonus.

The role consists of:

  • Designing unique marketing material that’s aligned with the creative direction and overall brand of the foundation and its projects.
  • Reviewing final layouts and suggesting improvements where required.
  • Ensure that the overall branding and artwork is maintained appropriately and consistently across all platforms and for all marketing and promotion material.

 

Location: This role can be done in Budapest (Hungary) or remotely, from anywhere in the world.

Qualifications: No formal qualifications are required. However, the candidate should have previous demonstrable experience.

Skills and requirements:

  • Demonstrable design experience across various platforms with design applications, software and technologies, such as Canva, Quark Xpress, InDesign or Illustrator, and photo-editing software such as Photoshop.
  • A keen eye for aesthetics and details;
  • Ability to translate campaigns into a visual creative direction

The role consists of:

  • Edit professional videos that are creative, engaging, and appropriately designed for our target audience.
  • Continuously discover and implement new editing technologies and industry’s best practices to maximize efficiency.

Location: This role can be done in Budapest (Hungary) or remotely, from anywhere in the world.

Qualifications: No formal qualifications required, however, the candidate should have previous demonstrable experience.

Skills and requirements:

  • solid experience with digital technology and editing software packages.
  • creative mind and storytelling skills.

The role consists of:

  • Launch our TikTok platform, grow our audience, and maximise user engagement and growth goals with high performing content.
  • Developing creative video content from scratch/available content
  • Stay on top of recent platform trends and how they could be used to promote the organisation.

Location: This role can be done in Budapest (Hungary) or remotely, from anywhere in the world.

Qualifications: No formal qualifications are required. However, the candidate should have previous demonstrable experience.

Skills and requirements:

  • Experience in making TikTok or short video content creation
  • Creative and curious.
  • High attention to details.

The role consists of:

  • Proof-read and correct documents and texts for spelling, grammar and punctuation errors
  • Verify factual correctness of information (e.g. dates and statistics).
  • Check and adjust text for style, readability, clarity and readability;

Location: This role can be done in Budapest (Hungary) or remotely, from anywhere in the world.

Qualifications: No formal qualifications are required. However, the candidate should have previous demonstrable experience.

Skills and requirements:

  • Familiarity with the proofreading techniques and tools;
  • Attention to details;