Current events:
SIGN UP FOR OUR WEBINAR ON 14TH OF JANUARY 2025
14th of January 2025 15:00-17:00 CET on Microsoft Teams
The Role of AI in Transforming Mental Healthcare – Webinar
This webinar offers an opportunity to learn how artificial intelligence is being applied to
support mental health and wellbeing. Through real-world examples, we will discuss how AI enhances access to care, personalizes mental health support, and aids professionals in
delivering more effective interventions.
The sessions will also address ethical challenges, such as transparency, fairness, and the
balance between technology and human connection, as we consider the implications of
integrating AI into sensitive areas like mental health.
Whether you’re a professional in the field, a technology enthusiast, or someone curious about the potential of AI, this event provides insights into how these tools are shaping the future of mental health care.
Guest speakers in the webinar:
Mark Hoogendoorn: “AI: What is it and how can it be used to improve wellbeing?”
Heleen Riper: “AI applications in Mental Health Care (Research and Practice)”
Lode Lauwaert: “An ethical perspective on AI”
Saara Huhanantti: “Extending Mental Health Chat Support: Advancing with Technology and AI”
A BRIEF REPORT – RESULTS FROM WP2
What are the strenghts of online counselling chat services? What is needed to start one? How to combat the most common problems related to online chat services?
Based on thorough desk reviews and interviews of the experts of the field, CHAT-YOUTH consortium has produced a brief report on the most pressing issues of online chat counselling services for youth.
The report is available as a pdf-file here:
- Brief report in English
- Brief report in Finnish
- Brief report in Spanish
- Brief report in Dutch
- Brief report in Hungarian
OVERVIEW
Youth undergo personal and external crises in the current time of changes. Young people seek support and mental help online. There are different kinds of online counselling chat services (OCCS) that aim to support the well-being of young people. CHAT-YOUTH will produce information and facilitate stakeholders to information exchange and ethical reflection to improve the quality of starting and ongoing non-profit OCCS and to capacitate youth work in Europe.
We collect and analyse data about characteristics and good practices of OCCS that support youth (<30) to overcome crisis with human help. In-depth analyses of topics and dialogues are conducted. The research results will be shared and disseminated through participatory activities with European stakeholders and further developed into practical tools. The aim is to facilitate networking that will strengthen the links between research, practice and policy.
CHAT-YOUTH will produce knowledge about OCCS that will help to develop and evaluate ongoing and start new OCCS. A special focus will be on vulnerable groups, including youth from Ukraine. Networking will bring European stakeholders together to share experiences and to discuss quality as well as ethical issues, also after the end of the project.
NETWORKING AND COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE MEETINGS
We focus on building a network of chat-related stakeholders, be it counselors, youth themselves, researchers or board members of chat-organizations. With this growing network we plan to organize six Community of Practice meetings, in which we want to enable European exchange of information about best practices and shortcomings in online chat counseling services for youth. The first Community of Practice meetings have been succesful and left us with much more to talk about.
The future CoP meetings are planned on:
- Tuesday February 11th, 2025 (11-12u30 CET) register HERE
- Tuesday June 17th, 2025 (11-12u30 CET)
- Tuesday September 16th, 2025 (11-12u30 CET).
Next to these CoP meetings we will also organize webinars on f.e. training of counselors. Specific dates are not picked yet, but the timeframes in which they will happen are listed below. Finally, we will also organize a Stakeholder symposium in Ghent (Belgium) on the 22nd and 23th of May in 2025.
- Webinar 1: 14th of January (15u – 17u CET): Artificial Intelligence, register HERE
- Webinar 2: May 2025 (parallel with symposium in Ghent, Belgium)
- Stakeholder symposium: 22-23 May 2025
- Webinar 3: November/December 2025
If you wish to learn more about the CoPs or the webinars, feel free to contact Elke Denayer (elke.denayer@ugent.be) with any questions or suggestions.
Dissemination aims to contribute to improving OCCS, and eventually support youth in need as well as youth work, research and policy making.
PAST EVENTS
Helsinki CHAT-YOUTH meeting
Helsinki CHAT-YOUTH meeting took place on Thursday 22.8.2024 at Tieteiden talo. During the day our multinational CHAT-YOUTH consortium shared research results and discussed the best practices for online councelling chat services (OCCS) for children and young people. We were joined by representatives from various councelling chat services and other experts on youth research and we were able to share observations from multiple chat platforms as well as the newest research findings on the topic. The theme of the meeting was Research and Practice.
Kick-off meeting for CHAT-YOUTH partners and experts
The hybrid kick-off meeting was arranged on Thursday the 25th of January 2024 in Madrid, Spain.
CHAT-YOUTH arranged a thematic working group called Do chat services for youth build hope? at the XXII Annual Conference of Youth Studies on 8–9th November 2023 in Helsinki, Finland.
NYRIS 16th Nordic Youth Research Symposium June 12-14th, 2024, Tampere, Finland. CHAT-YOUT arranged the thematic working group number 11. CHAT-services as Crisis help and Assistance for youth during challenging Times.
Past Community of Practice meetings
The first Community of Practice meeting on the 14th of March 2024 was about exchanging information and expertise. We gave a short update about the CHAT-YOUTH project and heard a presentation about a Finnish chat service.
Summary of the First Community of Practice meeting
CH@T-YOUTH: Community of Practice meeting
This first Community of Practice meeting provided updates on work packages, discussed the future of the project, and explored stakeholder engagement and webinar topics.
Work Package Updates:
• WP2: Identified 43 online counseling organizations, primarily national NGOs, across four countries.
• WP3: Analyzed chat conversations, comparing Finnish and Hungarian services.
• WP4: Focused on community building through international practices, webinars, networks, a symposium, and a consensus paper.
• WP5: Addressed project sustainability, toolkit development, professional guidelines, and policy recommendations.
Future of CH@T-YOUTH and the Community of Practice (CoP):
Participants emphasized the CoP’s role in exchanging information and tackling challenges like mental healthcare waiting lists and chat service integration into broader systems. Suggestions included expanding the network to more European countries, involving users and volunteers, and addressing topics such as AI, digitalization, accessibility, collaboration, and funding challenges.
Webinar Topics and Stakeholder Engagement:
Topics of interest include the theoretical frameworks and research underlying chat services, chat registration standards, and training for counselors. Participants highlighted the need for collaboration with public health and private sectors to attract youth and stressed funding sustainability for chat services. Engaging stakeholders, including users and volunteers, was encouraged to enrich discussions and improve services.
The second Community of Practice meeting on the 18th of June 2024 was about artificial intelligence and how artificial intelligence can be used in chat services. Before we heard a presentation about AI, we gave a short update about the project. During the discussions participant shared their ideas and thoughts about using AI in the chat services.
Summary of the Second Community of Practice meeting
CH@T-YOUTH: Community of Practice meeting on Artificial Intelligence
The CoP featured Tim Vanhove from Artevelde University of Applied Sciences, who presented on the basics of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its potential applications in chat services. Participants discussed their personal opinions on AI, expressing mixed feelings. While some highlighted its benefits, others raised concerns about replacing human interaction, ethical considerations, and the transparency of identifying AI versus human responders.
Few organizations currently use AI, but examples included tools for providing tips to counselors. Participants explored potential uses of AI, such as generating conversation summaries, providing translations, and aiding in counselor training and research. However, concerns were raised about AI misleading users, legal accountability for AI-generated responses, and the need for robust quality control.
Overall, the discussion underscored the importance of balancing AI’s potential advantages with transparency, user preferences, and the irreplaceable role of human counselors in youth support services.
The third Community of Practice meeting on the 1st of October 2024 was about suicidality as a phenomenon in the OCCS’s and how counselors should approach the topic.
Summary of the Third Community of Practice meeting
CH@T-YOUTH: Crisis help through chat
The Community of Practice group continues to grow, with participants from diverse countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Malta, Spain, and Bulgaria. This session took the form of an intervision and featured Marie Van Der Cam from SAM vzw, who shared insights on managing crisis conversations involving suicidal ideation across various national contexts.
Professor Alexis Dewaele from Ghent University gave a presentation on the state of the art on suicide research and discussed the benefits of chat counseling for youth in crisis. Chat services enhance accessibility and anonymity, making it easier for young people to discuss sensitive issues like mental health or suicidal thoughts. The absence of non-verbal cues encourages deeper focus on content, while writing can have therapeutic effects. Chat counseling also gives clients autonomy to control the pace. Combining chat services with traditional therapy (blended care) improves overall support and flexibility for youth in crisis.
Marie Van Der Cam led a discussion on handling suicide in chat conversations. During breakout rooms, participants shared their approaches when suicidal ideation becomes apparent, revealing diverse strategies:
• Establishing a safe space: Creating a supportive environment and expressing genuine concern for the client.
• Risk assessment: Evaluating the severity of the client’s suicidal thoughts and depressive feelings to understand risk levels.
• Detecting and addressing signals: Encouraging counselors to express suspicion and make assessments when warning signs are observed.
• Exploring meaning: Understanding the client’s reasons for their thoughts and their ambivalence regarding their situation.
• Positive reinforcement: Acknowledging the bravery it takes for clients to discuss suicidal thoughts, helping build rapport.
• Permission for third-party contact: Seeking the client’s consent to involve emergency services or family members when necessary.
• Staying calm: Emphasizing the importance of counselors remaining calm and focused during conversations to provide a stable support environment.
• Protocol adherence: Following established protocols to ensure consistent handling of sensitive situations, especially when a client’s life is at risk.
Feedback from the breakout rooms revealed several insights. Participants noted similarities in approaches, with risk assessment and safety planning as common steps. However, differences emerged regarding timelines and protocols for contacting emergency services. Support for counselors was emphasized through regular debriefings and professional networks, highlighting the importance of preparation and clear protocols
FUNDING AND PARTNERS
ERASMUS+ KA220-YOU – Cooperation partnerships in youth.
Alexis Dewaele, Lien Goossens and Elke Denayer (1/2024 -), Universiteit Gent, Belgium
Maria Cabello Salmerón, Irati Higuera Lozano (3/2024 -) and Ana Mateos Ramirez (6 – 7/2024 -) La Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain
Katalin Felvinczi, Zsuza Kaló and Mónika Rényi (1/2024 -), Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary
Tuuli Pitkänen, Siiri Soininvaara (8/2024-), Essi Holopainen (9/2023 – 5/2024), and Virvatuli Uusimäki (1 – 8/2024), Finnish Youth Research Society, Finland
Link to an article at Lavanguardia.com in Spanish
- Start year:
- 2023
- End year:
- 2026
Hankkeen johtaja
Tuuli Pitkänen
PhD, Adjunct professor
Research Manager
+358 41 517 8678
tuuli.pitkanen@youthresearch.fi
