Salut and the UIB are promoting a platform to care for the mental well-being of young people.

PalmThe Balearic Islands Ministry of Health and the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB) have signed an agreement to manage a platform that will promote healthy lifestyle habits among young people over 16 years of age and will begin operating in 2026. The initiative was presented this Wednesday and will have a budget of €300,000. Initially, the management agreement will run until 2028 and will begin as a pilot program within the university community, before being expanded to the rest of the youth population. The platform will include podcasts, informational videos, infographics, and AI-powered chats that will guide users toward the most appropriate resources based on their needs. During the press conference, the Minister of Health, Manuela García, stated that this initiative is a "commitment to innovation," with a new way of connecting with young people and "adapting to their language."

The Director General of Mental Health, Carme Bosch, explained that the goal is to promote the well-being of young people with a pilot program that will continue to be expanded and improved to benefit more people. It is a multi-channel, trilingual platform (Catalan, Spanish, and English) with clear objectives: to improve emotional well-being, promote healthy lifestyle habits, and prevent mental health problems.

To this end, an intuitive web application with interactive content tailored to young audiences will be available, along with a chatbot that will answer users' most frequently asked questions, acting as a gateway to content validated by experts. Bosch also explained that there will be questionnaires for initial self-assessments that will guide young people to personalized learning paths with content, some of which will be AI-generated. All of this will be done while guaranteeing "privacy, informed consent, and accessibility."

The content will cover emotional management, mindfulnesshealthy lifestyle habits and skills for coping with various situations. The platform will also include challenges and symbolic rewards to increase user interest. In parallel, based on the original UIB initiative, the 'SerenaMent' program will be consolidated and expanded as an educational tool to promote emotional well-being, with workshops and courses on mindfulness and relaxation, using immersive methodologies such as virtual reality and downloadable resources—guides, infographics, and short manuals—for independent use or as a complement to the workshops. The program will also be adapted for secondary schools and other centers, such as healthcare facilities, and partnerships will be established with educational institutions to facilitate the replication and evaluation of the model beyond the university setting.

Mutual support network for university students

In addition, the Active Listening and Support Network for the University Community (Xescau), an informal peer-to-peer emotional support structure, will be launched. Key actions include the selection of volunteers as community outreach workers and the designation of representatives at each center who will coordinate and connect with the UIB's professional services. This program will include a training plan in active listening, detection of emotional distress, and referral protocols, delivered by professionals and based on experiential learning. Action guides and coordination channels with the UIB's Psychological Wellbeing Space will also be developed. The pilot program will be monitored using indicators such as participation, interactions, and user satisfaction to identify best practices and facilitate potential expansion to other institutions. The Vice-Rector for Social and Cultural Outreach at the UIB, Adrià Muntaner, highlighted the importance of these types of tools, given that the first mental health problems often appear during university years.

According to a study by the Ministry of Health cited by Muntaner, two-thirds of university students show symptoms of depression, half suffer from anxiety, and one in five has suicidal thoughts. The UIB representative assured that this tool "will benefit all students" and will serve as a "testing ground" before being extended to the rest of the population. Regarding the platform's reach and the responses that AI can generate, García emphasized that it will initially be disseminated among the university community and stressed that the objective "is not to diagnose"; if any user needs it, they will be referred to a professional.