Greece 

My name is Aikaterina Sidiroglou, I’m 26 years old, and I come from Greece. I studied Psychology, and I am completing my Master’s degree in Applied Developmental Psychology. My experience spans European institutions, clinical settings, and NGOs, and since November 2025, I have been a member of the Youth Advisory Group on Quality of Care and Patient Safety at the World Health Organization.
I am deeply committed to making mental health accessible to all and advocate for youth mental health through my work with Mental Health Europe. I joined the Youth Leadership Programme to connect with young advocates across Europe who share the same drive for change. My goal is to give young people hope, share the support I once needed, and remind them they are not alone. Growing up on a remote island shaped my focus on accessibility and fuels my commitment to more inclusive, reachable mental health support for every young person.    

Andorra, currently living in France

Mental health shapes how we navigate life, how we learn, connect, and even our identity. My passion for this subject comes from experiencing first-hand how central good mental health is to feeling safe. Along my journey what eventually made a difference was finding people who wouldn’t judge. They held space for me to learn about myself, and shaped my conviction that stigma is harmful at every level, reinforces loneliness and limits access to care.

I hope to open conversations about the many realities of mental health from a youth perspective, and to help people feel less alone. With me, I bring lived experience and commitment to accessible care. I also bring a background in social sciences, which supports reflection and a critical perspective on mental health as a cultural and sociopolitical reality. I hope our team can contribute, even at a small scale, to more grounded and socially just initiatives across Europe.  

French and Czech 

Charlotte is a youth and health advocate currently completing her pharmacy studies. Through multiple experiences in youth organisations at both local and international levels, as well as a gap year in Brussels where she immersed herself in the Brussels Bubble, she has developed a strong passion for advocacy. Mental health has always been a deeply personal issue for her, both as a healthcare professional and as a young person navigating these challenges firsthand. She is committed to raising awareness and contributing to behavioural and societal change around mental health, and has chosen to further strengthen her advocacy skills by pursuing a Master’s degree in European Affairs.    

I joined the programme to make a difference. After years of advocating for student mental health and working closely with stakeholders in the field, joining Mental Health Europe felt like a natural next step where I could bring both my personal experience and professional knowledge.

I am eager to help plant a seed that will contribute to a shift in how people perceive mental health. I believe it is necessary to talk about it to contribute to this change and make sure it is also integrated into all policies.

A specific issue I would like to raise awareness on is that it is okay not to be okay, particularly in environments where performance, resilience, and constant productivity are valued over well-being.

Germany 

A few years ago, I wrote in my diary, “Dear world – please change.”

But after seeing society fail people in mental distress again and again, I realized that hoping for the change you want to see in this world is not enough – if you want to spark change, you need to speak up. That is why I decided not to stay silent any longer but to raise my voice to improve the healthcare system and reduce stigmatization. In recent years, I have been using my voice through mental health activism at panels, awareness events, and workshops. I also express my perspectives through writing poetry and performing on stage, while studying psychology to change the system from within. As a young advocate, I am pleading for young people with lived experience to be recognized as the assets to the discussion that they are. Real change can only happen when those affected are involved in shaping solutions.    

Originally from Germany, but based in Brussels (Belgium)  

I joined Mental Health Europe’s youth leadership programme because I strongly believe that there is no health and no well-functioning society without mental health. With a background in Social Policy and European Public Health, and as a young person myself, I saw this programme as an opportunity to be included in discussions on mental health at the European level. I have always been interested in mental health, both academically and personally, which motivated me to apply when I came across the programme advertisement on Instagram or LinkedIn. I also saw it as a great opportunity to connect with other like-minded young people and to actively advocate for our young people’s mental health at the European level.    

Germany 

I believe in a world, where the question “How are you?” sparks real conversation, not just smalltalk. A world that supports and cares for our mental health instead of stigmatizing and neglecting it. Our young generation is here to change that.
Since the age of 13, I have been passionate about raising my voice for what matters to me: sustainability, democratic values as well as mental health awareness. By combining my academic background in Psychology with my experience in political advocacy work, I want to contribute to a society that protects and promotes mental well-being. Therefore, supporting individuals as well as pushing for political change is indispensable. Young people deserve a seat at the tables where our future is decided, especially since we are the experts of our lived experiences. Alongside my advocacy work and studies, I write poetry addressing mental health and societal challenges. Performing it on stage is another important, creative way for me of raising awareness.   

Belgium & Spain 

I joined the programme after seeing many of my loved ones struggle with their mental health and feeling that not enough was being done at a systemic level. This motivated me to become part of a movement that advocates for structural change rather than only individual solutions. Through this programme, I hope to reach youth who may be facing similar challenges and offer guidance and a feeling that they are not alone. Ideally, I hope to contribute to prevention efforts by strengthening young people’s psychological resources before difficulties escalate into clinical conditions. If just one person feels a bit better through our work, I feel like it was worth it 🙂 

Ukraine

I am a Psychology graduate and an English teacher. I am really interested in applying my psychological knowledge to programs that address young people’s mental health through the educational sector. I joined this project to get my voice through and be able to learn from mentors and young leaders how to create lasting change in educational communities. So far the programme has taught me to be proactive and reach out to people who may be able to help me turn my ideas and goals to life. It’s also opened my eyes to various issues in the mental health sector across Europe and how they are being solved by multiple individuals and organisations. Learning about this field case by case has been inspiring and I hope to bring this knowledge to real-life projects in the near future.   

Italy 

My lived experiences with mental health issues have during the years informed my decision to engage with the topic, both through advocacy and research, as I worked on projects that tried to improve wellbeing inside higher education institutions. These experiences have ultimately led me to participate in the Youth Leadership Programme. I am passionate about the intersection between mental health, education and health systems, and I hope to contribute to starting conversations about how to improve support services for youth within my country and in Europe, identifying the inequalities and advocating for a system that is patient-centered and pushes for prevention as well, involving youth voices. My research background pushes me to really focus on evidence-based solutions, and through the programme I hope to contribute to actions that from research feed into policy and advocacy, to be an informed voice for youth throughout Europe.  

Slovenia 

My name is Tjaša, and I am a Master of Pharmacy. Through this programme, I aim to raise awareness about the importance of mental health, the strength of personal experience in decision-making and professional expertise, and the need to consider young people as equal stakeholders, especially when regulations concerning them are being developed. I want young people to have a stronger voice in decision-making processes and to create something positive from what I have personally experienced. My goal is to show people that they are not alone, and that mental health is not a bipolar, black-and-white state, but rather a spectrum that can be influenced. With the right approach, openness, and support, we can truly improve quality of life.