FLOW: Foster long-term well-being in pre-adolescent children and their families

Our mental health is determined by a balance between our individual resources and external challenges. Four researchers from universities in Germany (Svenja Taubner), Lithuania (Rasa Barkauskiene), Spain (Eduardo Fonseca Pedrero) and Switzerland (Martin Debbané) are investigating parents and children with different levels of risk of poor mental health. In the study, participants are given various preventative aids, as are teachers in whose classes where there is a risk of bullying or a negative atmosphere. Prevention programs will be tailored to the needs of 8-10 year old children in primary schools and their parents. The study aims to show how crucial psychological regulatory mechanisms are essential for well-being such as focusing attention, being able to regulate emotion and to reflect on mental states that motivate behavior. They will test to what extent prevention programs for children, teachers and parents can prevent the occurrence of mental health problems and increase regulatory psychological capacities across the different participating countries. By training social workers and teachers in the prevention methods, FLOW aims to create a long-term effect. Youth mental health care, as well as its prevention and promotion of psychological well-being, provided in a timely and proportionate manner, can be highly cost-effective in personal, familial, educational, socio-economic terms.