University of Nicosia Leads Research in New EU-Funded Mental Health Initiative

The University of Nicosia (UNIC) announces its participation in ‘Resilient Cities, Healthy People’ (ReCiHePe), a new three-year project funded by the EU4Health Programme. UNIC will lead the research strategy and implementation of this initiative, which addresses mental health promotion in urban areas.

Under the leadership of Dr. Despina Cochliou as Project Manager, UNIC joins five European partners in this transnational collaboration aimed at supporting vulnerable populations affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, including refugees, immigrants, victims of domestic abuse, elderly individuals, and NEET youth (youth Not in Employment, Education or Training).

The project seeks to develop local social care organisations’ capacity as community safety nets, while empowering community members to act as peer supporters. Through generating local initiatives that address social factors of mental health, the project will implement comprehensive research to evaluate the impact of community-based initiatives on vulnerable groups.

UNIC’s research leadership role encompasses directing the overall research strategy, implementing appropriate methodologies, and evaluating the effectiveness of peer support initiatives. This work will be crucial in assessing how community-based interventions impact the well-being of vulnerable groups.

The project brings together expertise from across Europe, with ANIMA (Greece) serving as project coordinator, alongside partners Traustur Kjarni (Iceland), Asociatia Minte Forte (Romania), E-Trikala (Greece), and Roscommon LEADER Partnership (Ireland). This diverse partnership enables a comprehensive approach to mental health promotion through peer support methodologies, active participation strategies, user involvement techniques, and capacity-building initiatives.

For more information about ReCiHePe:

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