Funding Source: SNF

Mental health is a vital part of our overall well-being, especially during early adolescence, a time of rapid growth and emotional development. Yet, many young people face mental health challenges without adequate support. Our project explores how new technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), smartphones, and smartwatches, can help promote mental well-being in schools.

We bring together experts from psychology, sports science, computer science, and ethics across Romania, Croatia, and Switzerland to understand how everyday behaviours such as physical activity, sleep, and phone use relate to mental health. With input from over 300 adolescents, we will design and test youth-friendly ways of monitoring well-being through mobile devices, while protecting privacy and promoting trust.

The project includes two major studies. First, we will observe daily routines using digital tools and short mental health check-ins. Then, we will apply advanced AI methods to identify patterns that may signal changes in mood or mental health. Our goal is to create personalised suggestions, such as encouraging a walk or improving sleep habits, that are easy to understand and useful for young people, teachers, and school psychologists.

By the end of the project, we aim to develop practical and ethically sound guidelines for using these technologies to support adolescent mental health in schools. This work will help young people build resilience and thrive during this important stage of life.

Duration of the project: July 2025 – December 2028

For more detail, see the project website at: https://data.snf.ch/grants/grant/230189