More than 4,300 adolescents in the Balearic Islands will participate in one of the largest suicide prevention studies ever conducted among adolescents in Spain
The SOM·RIU project lead by IdISBa aunches the implementation phase of a clinical trial in 171 classrooms across 43 schools in Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza
Adolescent mental health is one of the major public health challenges of our time. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately one in seven adolescents experiences a mental health disorder, while suicide remains one of the leading causes of death among young people.
With the aim of contributing to the early prevention of mental health problems and suicidal behaviour, the SOM·RIU project will begin a key new phase of its development in the coming weeks: the launch of a clinical trial involving approximately 4,339 secondary school students from 43 educational centres in Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza. The intervention will be implemented in a total of 171 classrooms, making SOM·RIU one of the most ambitious youth mental health research and intervention initiatives developed in Spain to date.
The project is led by the Primary Care, Health Services and Evidence-Based Medicine (EVISAP) research group at the Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa) and is funded by the Fundación Mutua Madrileña. It is also supported by the Ministry of Education and Universities of the Balearic Islands, the Directorate General for Mental Health, Convivèxit, the Balearic Islands Health Service, and other institutions and organisations committed to promoting mental health and preventing suicide among adolescents.
SOM·RIU has been designed to promote emotional well-being, strengthen young people's personal skills for coping with psychological distress, reduce the stigma associated with mental health problems, and encourage help-seeking when needed. The programme also aims to improve the capacity of families, teachers and other professionals working with adolescents to identify problems early and provide appropriate support.
One of the initiative's most innovative features is its strong integration within the educational system. In most participating schools, the programme will be delivered by educational psychologists, counsellors and other support staff after receiving specialised training developed by the research team. This approach seeks to enhance the project's sustainability and strengthen schools' capacity to continue promoting mental health beyond the duration of the study.
The student intervention consists of a structured programme of face-to-face workshops delivered during school hours. Throughout several sessions, students will work on topics such as recognising and managing emotions, developing healthy coping strategies, identifying warning signs related to psychological distress, reducing prejudice surrounding mental health problems, seeking professional help, and providing peer support. The goal is to equip adolescents with practical tools to better deal with the challenges commonly faced during adolescence and to foster a culture of mutual care within the educational community.
In addition, SOM·RIU includes a digital tool aimed at families, teachers and other educational professionals. This platform provides training resources, practical materials and evidence-based content on emotional well-being, the early detection of mental health problems, suicide prevention, and support for adolescents in vulnerable situations. It also offers information on available support services and promotes stronger coordination between the educational, family and healthcare sectors.
The project will also generate high-quality scientific evidence on the effectiveness of school-based interventions for promoting mental health and preventing suicide. The findings will help inform future public policies and strategies aimed at protecting the mental health of young people.
According to Ignacio Ricci Cabello, principal investigator of the project, "Adolescence is a crucial stage for prevention. Many mental health problems emerge before the age of 18, and we know that early intervention can make an enormous difference. Through SOM·RIU, we want to provide young people with tools to manage emotional distress, seek help when they need it, and build educational communities that are better prepared to care for the mental health of this population."
The participation of more than four thousand adolescents, hundreds of educational professionals and forty-three schools across the three islands makes SOM·RIU one of the largest applied research initiatives on adolescent mental health ever carried out in Spain. It also represents a unique opportunity to move towards healthier, more inclusive educational environments that are better prepared to address one of the most important challenges facing society today and in the future.
