Peace of Mind

Overview

The Peace of Mind project is a cross community, cross-border strategic initiative that is designed to address the significant mental health challenges prevalent among young people in Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland. The project is supported by PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).

The project will ensure that young people are central to the project’s design, delivery and outcomes by developing, testing and scaling up a community-led citizen science approach. This means that all project elements including the mental health programme, peer mentor training, digital elements, methodological approaches, and citizen science studies are co-designed with youth through their ongoing engagement in Youth Advisory Assemblies and co-design sessions.

The project is very timely and much needed with a strong collaborative focus on empowering young minds and building resilience. The project is expected to reach and impact 25,000 youth in Northern Ireland and Ireland.

It is expected that the project will enhance the mental health and wellbeing of 25,000 youth in Northern Ireland and Ireland, and develop research capacity in youth participating in Youth Advisory Assemblies and co-design sessions.

The Open University is leading the community citizen science and evaluation processes, including using the award winning nQuire platform to meaningfully engage youth in co-creation processes.

The role of IET

The Open University is leading the community citizen science and evaluation processes, including using the award winning nQuire platform to meaningfully engage youth in co-creation processes.