On 8 April Eveline Crone (Healthy Start Academic Lead) and Yara Toenders (Healthy Start Fellow) were appointed chairman and secretary of the Scientific Advisory Board of the MIND Us foundation. The Scientific Advisory Board consists of a group of researchers who support the policy of the organization with scientific insights. They advise on research, effectiveness measurements and knowledge transfer to contribute to the resilience and mental health of youth. The role of the Board is a perfect match with the transdisciplinary approach of Healthy Start, where collaboration with societal partners is a central pillar.

The MIND Us foundation is committed to the healthy development of youth, in which they are encouraged to be vulnerable, to grow, to learn and to experience. The goal is to make youth more resilient and help them take control over their mental health. By combining forces, stimulating initiatives and focusing the right attention on mental health problems of youth, MIND Us creates an environment in which youth feel seen and heard. Together with many different stakeholders, including youth themselves, policy makers, municipalities, entrepreneurs and scientists, the foundation strives towards better resilience and a good mental health of youth.

Queen Máxima of the Netherlands is honorary chairman of the foundation, which emphasizes the urgency of the problem of youth’s mental health issues. Frederieke Vriends, director of MIND Us, emphasized the importance of these appointments and the role of the organisation: “At MIND Us we find it very important to focus on the things that have proven to be valuable for youth. From the start of MIND Us we have therefore, besides listening to the voice of youth, also integrated the insights from science in our way of working. We are very pleased to formalize our relationship with science with the Scientific Advisory Board. With her extensive knowledge on mental health of youth we have found a great chairman in Eveline Crone. As a young, talented researcher Yara Toenders adds a fresh look in which she connects the living environment of youth with her research. We are very proud that we could welcome them as the first two members of the Board.