PROJECT PAGE / PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT / RESULTS
During the international CHAT-YOUTH networking project several scientific articles, brief-reports, a Self-assessment tool for Online Chat Counselling services and Recommendations were published. The results of CHAT-YOUTH project are available here CHAT-YOUTH results
Next CHAT-YOUTH networking webinar on 2.10.2026
10-11:30 UTC +2
(11-12.30 Finnish time)
A networking webinar for researchers and professionals, who are interested in online counselling chat services for youth.
Sign in https://link.webropol.com/s/networkingWebinar
THANK YOU for participating in the webinar on the 24th of April. Altogether, 40 people participated and we decided to have the next networking webinar on the 2nd of October, 2026. Welcome!
Co-operation and networking ERASMUS+ youth project
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 project has produced information and facilitated stakeholders to information exchange and ethical reflection with the goal of improving the quality of starting and ongoing non-profit OCCS and to capacitate youth work in Europe.
We have collected and analysed data about characteristics and good practices of OCCS that support youth (<30) to overcome crisis with human help in Belgium, Finland, Hungary and Spain. In-depth analyses of topics and dialogues are being conducted. The research results are shared and disseminated through participatory activities with European stakeholders and have been further developed into practical tools. The aim of the project has been to facilitate networking that will strengthen the links between research, practice and policy.
CHAT-YOUTH has produced knowledge about OCCS that will help to develop and evaluate ongoing and start new OCCS. A special focus is on vulnerable groups, including youth from Ukraine. Networking activities have brought European stakeholders together to share experiences and to discuss quality as well as ethical issues, and also continue after the end of the project.
Even though the funding for the project has ended in January of 2026, the results of the project will be updated on this web site CHAT-YOUTH results and by summer 2026 also on the Erasmus+ platform for project results.
Funding and partners
ERASMUS+ KA220-YOU – Cooperation partnerships in youth 9/2023 – 1/2026
Alexis Dewaele, Lien Goossens and Elke Denayer, Universiteit Gent, Belgium
Maria Cabello Salmerón and Irati Higuera Lozano, La Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain
Katalin Felvinczi, Zsuza Kaló and Mónika Rényi, Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary
Tuuli Pitkänen, Siiri Soininvaara, Alix Helfer, Essi Holopainen, Virvatuli Uusimäki and Sanni Heinonen, Finnish Youth Research Society, Finland
Link to an article at Lavanguardia.com in Spanish
chat-youth@youthresearch.fi
- Start year:
- 2023
- End year:
- 2026
PI
Tuuli Pitkänen
PhD, Adjunct professor
Research Manager
+358 41 517 8678
tuuli.pitkanen@youthresearch.fi