DESKcohort

Methodological design

Mental health problems

Study of mental health and health behaviors of adolescents in Central Catalonia

19 May, 2023

The DESKcohort project provides an overview of the mental health of adolescents from the 2nd year of ESO to the 2nd year of Bachillerato or equivalent in Central Catalonia with the aim of understanding the health behaviors and needs of this population and the determinants that influence their health status over time.

The mental health of these young people can have a significant impact on interpersonal and family relationships, education and health in general. Therefore, through data collection, this project provides relevant and specific information – on a specific population group and geographic demarcation – for the subsequent planning and implementation of actions to improve the health of this population in the medium and long term. A relevant aspect of the project is the return of the results of the study to the student population and teachers through different promotion strategies in the participating high schools, making it possible to know the reality of the educational center.

The research group focuses especially on the study of the mental health of these young people linked to substance use. For this purpose, a confidential questionnaire is distributed to the population between 12 and 18 years of age in the educational centers of Central Catalonia, which allows extracting information about the particular needs of the territory.

Ultimately, this project aims to build a cohort among young people residing in this central Catalan region to learn about, educate and promote good mental health.

The DESKcohort project is a project led by UManresa of the UVIC-UCC and with the participation of the Department of Health, the Department of Education of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, the CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health and the CEEISCAT.

Visit the project website