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BOOK ”EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES” TO BE RELEASED ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2024, PROVIDES AN ANSWER TO THE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS AMONG YOUNG ADULTS
Survey: Belonging to a community significantly protects the lives of NEET youth
The Sosped Foundation’s international Erasmus+ project has researched how belonging to a community affects the lives of young people in challenging situations, particularly focusing on young adults who are outside of employment, education, or training. The survey was conducted between January and March 2024, and a total of 382 young adults from Finland, Italy, Portugal, and the Czech Republic responded.
The young people were asked to share their views on the importance of belonging to a community. The most common responses highlighted the experience of being accepted, being heard, valuing the young person’s thoughts, and reducing loneliness. Many emphasized the importance of social interaction within the community, as well as sharing and being together. A few examples of the young people’s responses include: ”A community can be another family that helps and supports you” or ”Without a community and without emotional support, we are much more vulnerable to mental health issues related to loneliness.”
In Finland, 110 young adults responded to the survey, 75% of whom were classified as NEET (Not in Employment, Education, or Training). Of the NEET respondents, half (57%) reported belonging to a community, providing a good opportunity to compare their situation with those young people (43%) who did not feel they belonged to any community. A statistically significant difference was found in that young people who belonged to a community felt they had opportunities for self-fulfillment and meaningful activities. Among those who belonged to a community, 72% felt they had opportunities for self-fulfillment, while only 43% of those who did not belong to a community felt the same. More than 77% of those who belonged to a community felt they had enough meaningful activities, while nearly 60% of those outside of communities said they did not have enough meaningful activities. Community members were also satisfied with their relationships: over 70% of community members felt they had enough good relationships, while less than 30% of those outside communities felt the same. Over 91% of young people who belonged to a community felt they received support when they needed it, compared to 65% of those who did not belong to any community.
Although NEET youth are often considered at significant risk of social exclusion, this survey did not find a statistical difference in whether a young person felt they could influence society based on their NEET status. On the contrary, 56% of NEET youth who belonged to a community felt they could influence society, compared to only 46% of young adults in employment or education.
Based on this research, it can be said that belonging to a community appears to significantly protect the lives of NEET youth: even though young people in challenging situations may not have an institutional community such as a school or workplace, they had more opportunities for self-fulfillment, experienced meaningfulness, had good relationships, and felt they received help when needed compared to their peers. The survey results are strongly aligned with the self-determination theory advocated by Frank Martela, which defines human psychological basic needs as relatedness to others, autonomy, and the ability to grow in competence.
THE ”EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES” BOOK AND QUESTION CARDS EXPLAIN HOW TO CREATE AN EMPOWERING COMMUNITY
Young people in all countries agreed strongly on the most important characteristics of a community: in all countries, the two most important characteristics were that the young person could be themselves in the community and that they felt safe. The next most important characteristics were open communication and a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.
In the Erasmus+ project led by the Sosped Foundation, a handbook has also been produced over the past two years, explaining how to create a community that is good for young people. The book contains information on the situation of NEET youth, communities and community spirit, as well as young people’s thoughts and life stories. The book is intended especially for professionals working with young people, so that they can better apply the principles of community spirit in their work. The ”Empowering Communities” book and question cards also provide answers on how to make our society more mental health-friendly.
- ”An empowering community is one where a young person, even in a challenging life situation, can feel they belong to an important group and experience meaning in their life. These are significant things for all of us, but for a young person who has mental health challenges or feels lonely, these might be the things that keep them connected to life,” summarizes project coordinator Minna Wallenius.
The ”Empowering Communities” book and related question cards will be released next Tuesday, August 20, in Tampere at the ”Communities and Wellbeing” seminar at the Metso Main Library. In addition, more extensive research results will be published online at www.empow.eu.
Further information:
Minna Wallenius
Project Coordinator, Sosped Foundation
Phone: +358 44 7227780
Email: minna.wallenius@sosped.fi