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How does EASE work and how can it support bridging the Mental Health Treatment Gap?

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How does EASE work and how can it support bridging the Mental Health Treatment Gap?

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Take a look at our one-pager!

It is available in Slovak, Hungarian, Bulgarian and Croatian.

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As part of the evaluation of the EASE-Y program, we are collecting information from adolescents aged 10–15 and their caregivers before and after participating in group sessions.
This survey contributes to the project’s research component led by Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VUA) and will help strengthen evidence for scalable mental health support.
Participation is voluntary and anonymous. Click or scan to begin.

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Here’s what we’ve achieved together in the first year of the project — a snapshot of our collective progress and the foundation for what’s next.

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These illustrations were developed to bring the EASE-Y intervention to life in a way that is engaging, relatable, and easy to understand for both adolescents and caregivers. Each image depicts Kian experiencing a variety of emotions, thoughts, and everyday situations—highlighting that it’s completely normal to feel different things in different ways.

The illustrations are versatile tools:

For digital use: they can be viewed within the Actionbound tool as part of the guided activities, making the content interactive and visually appealing.

For printed use: they can be used during group or individual sessions with adolescents and caregivers. They serve as conversation starters, helping facilitators prompt discussion about emotions, coping strategies, and mental well-being.

By showing experiences that are familiar and relatable, these illustrations help normalize a wide range of feelings, support emotional expression, and make it easier for participants to reflect, share, and learn.

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This is Kian, the main character in the EASE-Y tool, whose experiences guide the stories and exercises

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Milestone 1 Achieved: Our Training of Trainers (ToT) is complete!

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Milestone 1 Achieved: Our Training of Trainers (ToT) is complete!

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The trainers are now fully equipped and ready to roll out the Training of Facilitators in their countries, bringing new skills and knowledge directly to local teams.

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Here’s the amazing team behind the EASE-Y initiative, working together across Europe to strengthen mental health support for adolescents. From coordinating trainings to developing innovative tools, these professionals are at the heart of making EASE-Y a reality—bringing skills, care, and collaboration to young people and their communities.

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Adolescence is a time of growth, change — and sometimes, challenge.

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Adolescence is a time of growth, change — and sometimes, challenge.

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On this #WorldMentalHealthDay, we highlight the importance of supporting adolescents’ wellbeing through evidence-based, scalable interventions like EASE (Early Adolescent Skills for Emotions).
Adolescence is a key period for building emotional resilience — timely support can make a lifelong difference. 💚

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EASE-Y: Strengthening Adolescent Mental Health Across Europe

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EASE-Y: Strengthening Adolescent Mental Health Across Europe

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What is EASE-Y?

EASE-Y is a European project co-funded by the EU4Health program and led by SOS Children’s Villages. Its goal is to enhance mental health support for vulnerable adolescents. The project is based on the group psychological intervention “Early Adolescent Skills for Emotions” (EASE), developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF, to help young people aged 10–15 manage anxiety, stress, and depressive symptoms.

Project Goals

By September 2027, EASE-Y aims to:

Provide psychosocial support to 720 adolescents and 600 caregivers, helping them cope with anxiety, stress, and depression.

Train 46 non-specialist facilitators to lead EASE groups safely and effectively.

Produce psychoeducational materials to support early identification of mental health challenges.

Promote collaboration and research, with expert supervision from Italy and the Netherlands, contributing to evidence-based mental health policies.

Why It Matters

Adolescent mental health is crucial for healthy development and for building inclusive, resilient societies. EASE-Y not only provides practical tools to face emotional challenges but also encourages a culture of prevention and support, helping to reduce stigma around mental health.

Where It Takes Place

The project is active in several European countries, including Italy, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, and Slovakia, with research and supervision provided by the University of Verona (Italy) and the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (Netherlands).

Learn More

For more information and updates on EASE-Y, visit the official SOS Children’s Villages website:
https://www.sositalia.it/cosa-facciamo/nel-mondo/europe/ease-y-il-progetto-per-rafforzare-la-salute-mental

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Behind the Scenes of EASE-Y: How We Gather Insights 📊✨

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Behind the Scenes of EASE-Y: How We Gather Insights 📊✨

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The EASE-Y initiative isn’t just about delivering trainings—it’s also about understanding what works and how adolescents and their caregivers experience support. This illustration shows our data collection process, which is a key part of the research behind the project.

Through interviews, surveys, and feedback from both trainers and participants, we capture insights that help us:

Adapt the EASE methodology to different local contexts.

Understand the challenges and successes faced by adolescents and caregivers.

Ensure the project continues to be evidence-based, responsive, and effective.

This process allows us to learn in real time and continuously improve the support we provide, making sure EASE-Y truly meets the needs of young people across Europe.

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Presenting the Mental Health Factsheets – Available in English 🧠💡

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Presenting the Mental Health Factsheets – Available in English 🧠💡

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As part of the EASE-Y initiative, we’re excited to share a set of easy-to-use mental health factsheets for adolescents and their caregivers. From this session, you can access the resources in English, providing practical tips, guidance, and tools to help young people manage anxiety, stress, and emotional challenges in everyday life.

These factsheets are designed to be friendly, accessible, and empowering, giving both young people and caregivers confidence in taking care of mental wellbeing.

📄 Explore the English factsheets and discover practical tools to support mental health.

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From happiness to anxiety, excitement to anger—emotions change throughout the day, and that’s okay.

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Sometimes Kian gets headaches or a tummy ache—showing that when we feel worried or stressed, our body can feel it too, in lots of different ways.

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Kian has so many worries at once that it’s hard to focus—sometimes our brain feels like it’s spinning with too many thoughts

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Even when surrounded by others, Kian sometimes feels disconnected and isolated

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Kian feels angry or frustrated. Strong feelings are normal, and it’s okay to take a pause

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Here you can find the EASE-Y factsheets made just for adolescents like you, full of tips and info to support your well-being.

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Here you can find the EASE-Y factsheets for caregivers, with guidance and key information to help support adolescents.

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A snapshot of our consortium coming together to reflect, connect, and move the project forward — strengthening collaboration to better support adolescents’ mental health.

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Motivational voices from qualitative interviews with adolescents and caregivers in EASE-Y partner settings

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Positive quotes from Qualitative study #2