Physical activity serves as a conduit for addressing a range of adolescent emotions, forthcoming research conducted for the EU-supported HOORAY project shows. Coaches, parents and peers have a significant influence on youth mental health outcomes for youth, and meaningful engagement and achievement in competitive settings also have a positive impact.

At the beginning of December 2023, the HOORAY project partners met in Rome for their second in-person project meeting to finalise these first research outcomes and engage in dynamic discussions.

Richard Bailey’s comprehensive presentation on the ‘What Works? Evidence-based Guidelines’ study zeroed in on adolescent depression, anxiety and suicide, and the Technical University of Munich’s (TUM) ‘Youth Voices’ report sheds light on adolescents’ perceptions of physical activities that support mental health. Both of these forthcoming research reports will be published on the project website soon https://engsoyouth.eu/hooray/

Chiara from ISS led discussions on the EU Compendium of Best Practices in Sport Programmes for Youth Mental Health: so far 19 best practices tailored to youth have been collected. Maria from ISCA outlined dissemination strategies for the recently published studies and upcoming activities. The second day of the meeting focused on crafting a youth engagement guidance document led by BAIS, discussing the application of the PERMA framework from TUM's presentation for the report 'Youth Voices: Perceptions of Physical Activities Supporting Mental Health', and brainstorming the knowledge hub's development with ENGSO Youth leading the charge.

The findings from the scientific reports hold invaluable implications for practitioners aiming to fortify adolescent mental health through intentional interventions. The next in-person meeting scheduled for 26-27 September in Lisbon, Portugal, and the partners will in the meantime continue their collaborative efforts toward bolstering mental wellbeing through physical activities for adolescents.