SIOF YOUTH

Konecta Foundation and the FAD Youth Foundation renew their agreement to continue providing psychological support to teenagers and young people with mental health problems

This is the SIOF Youth project, thanks to which a free service is offered, confidentially and anonymously, through its different channels (calls, videoconferences, mail and WhatsApp) to assist adolescents and young people with mental health problems in order to inform them, guide them and provide them with psychological support. Those young people who are in the training and employment phase are referred to the FAD’s own initiatives and resources, as well as others that Konecta Foundation has in place, such as its Vocational Training School in Customer Service with a certificate of competence and the Green Jobs Hub, to train young people in the new jobs generated by the green economy.

This partnership’s creation in 2020 coincided with the pandemic, a crucial moment worldwide, making it more difficult for the youth population to respond to their environment, generating levels of stress and anxiety that, instead of decreasing, have been growing ever since. During these years, more than 2,500 consultations have been received from children and young people related to anxiety (22%), drug-related issues (20%) and depressive symptoms and psychosocial problems (10%).

Of the answers given by the professionals who attend the SIOF Youth, emotional support (35%) has been the most frequent, with WhatsApp (49%) being the most used channel for consultations, followed by telephone (28%), video call (14%) and, finally, email (10%). In addition, the Youth Care Service has also been implemented.