Methodology of developing a toolkit to empower young adults for Psychological Well-Being. An EUniWell perspective.

Background: EUniWell is a European University Alliance consisting of twelve universities and is dedicated to foster well-being across society, science and the environment. To achieve this goal, it builds partnership with cities and organisations and engages civic society through educational offers and skills development. One important component of well-being is that of psychological health. It is defined by the WHO as a domain of intrinsic capacity, which supports healthy aging through counteracting frailty. Our aim was to establish a methodological framework to empower young adults to thrive and engage others to cultivate psychological well-being (PWB) using a bottom-up approach.

 

Approach: An interdisciplinary expert panel was set up representing stakeholders from the field of medicine, entrepreneurship, co-creation teaching and university leadership. The framework for managing change and skills development was created through a series of conversations.

 

Results: A one-year program of co-creation in learning was developed to foster the awareness of young adults on how well-being can be understood as a tool to enhance internal capacity. A short video series on the balanced, under- and over functioning states of PWB and on the meaning and maintenance of a growth mindset will enable participants to create shared values. Personal strategies to increase PWB in times of adversity will be shared and discussed using a closed social media platform as a safe learning space.

 

All participants will meet in person during a co-creation course to define the components of a project empowering peers to recall and share PWB related personal challenges and solutions, which will be followed by peer data collection at universities. The methodology of activating peers will be summarized as an oral presentation. Lived experiences will comprise the basis of formulating a practical toolkit for self-management. Student-created short teasers will increase awareness of the wider public to increase self-efficacy in health promotion.

 

Implications: This methodological presentation shows a bottom-up approach to engage young adults in understanding the role of well-being in health promotion. It provides a step-by-step framework of facilitating engagement through interaction and enhancing the ability of people to use their own resources to counteract adversity and to prevent frailty.