YHP Poland

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Location

Poland


Timing

2022 - 2025


The context

Young people in Poland face increased rates of mental health conditions1, yet there is only an average of one psychiatrist per 15,000 children available to provide treatment.2

Mental health is intrinsically linked to non-communicable disease (NCD) prevention through shared risk factors, biological mechanisms, and behavioral patterns. Depression and anxiety often drive unhealthy habits - smoking, poor diet, and physical inactivity - that fuel NCDs like diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Integrating mental health care into NCD prevention is essential to improve overall health outcomes and reduce premature mortality.3


Our objectives

The goal of the programme was to support young people in Poland in developing greater mental health resilience. The programme also aimed to strengthen the capacity of teachers, and enable them to provide mindfulness and well-being resources for young people at school, especially those from marginalised and refugee backgrounds.


Our programme

The programme focused on supporting early prevention of mental health conditions among young people through education and training on mindfulness. Teachers from all over Poland participated in mindfulness courses using a ‘teach the teacher’ approach. They then applied their knowledge in the school environment by supporting young people to build their mental resilience and empowering them to seek support when needed.



Our achievements

Over the three years of the Drops of Mindfullness programme (2022–2025), the initiative successfully strengthened mindfulness practices in Polish schools through a wide range of activities.

The programme delivered 11 intensive 8‑week mindfulness courses for 260 teachers, who later introduced the practices to 6,800 students, as well as specialised editions for 89 hospital‑school teachers, reaching an additional 274 students.

The project’s open educational resources, including the (S)pokój nauczycielski toolkit, were downloaded over 9,900 times, while the accompanying e‑learning courses engaged more than 2,300 participants in total and supported mindfulness work with over 4,500 students.

The programme’s outreach efforts included webinars attended by 4,668 viewers20 Mindfulness Café sessions involving 250 educators and indirectly 12,000 students, and a network of 21 Mindfulness Leaders who delivered 40 local workshops for over 600 participants.

Additional achievements include publishing the nationwide report Hospital Schools in Poland and extensive media coverage and partnerships, contributing to a total communication reach exceeding 15,000 recipients.


Our partners


Drops of Mindfulness is a project carried out by the Foundation 'School with Class' in cooperation with the Foundation 'Edumind Mindfulness in Education'.






References

1. NIK about availability of psychiatric treatment to children and young people [Internet]. NIK. Supreme Audit Office; 2020 [cited 2022 Nov 23]. Available from: https://www.nik.gov.pl/en/news/nik-about-availability-of-psychiatric-treatment-to-children-and-young-people.html

2. Ramy Strategiczne Rozwoju Systemu Ochrony Zdrowia Na Lata 2021–2027, z Perspektywą do 2030 r. [internet]. RCL. Ministerstwo Zdrowia; [cited 2022 Nov 23]. Available from: https://legislacja.rcl.gov.pl/docs/3/12348352/12798638/12798639/dokument509773.pdf

3. WHO, Mental health and NCDs - https://www.who.int/news-room/commentaries/detail/mental-health-and-ncds--a-shared-but-differentiated-agenda-for-the-2025-un-high-level-meeting?utm_source=chatgpt.com