In Europe, the number of young people aged 18 to 29 experiencing mental health problems has doubled since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, with almost two-thirds at risk of depression. In response, One Health Underwater: Youth Well-being with Diving is a European initiative funded by the Erasmus+ Programme, investigating how scuba diving may help reduce stress, anxiety, and social isolation while promoting mental balance, social inclusion, and a deeper connection with nature.
The project is coordinated by the French Federation for Underwater Studies and Sports (FFESSM), supported by DAN Europe and Haute École Bruxelles-Brabant (HE2B). A multilingual online questionnaire has been launched, targeting young Europeans aged 18 to 29, and will remain open until March 2026.
The aim is to understand and scientifically document how scuba diving experiences can alleviate psychological distress and foster social connection, providing strong evidence to support the integration of diving into public health, sport, and educational programmes.
Results will be analysed and made publicly available by May 2026 during the European Mental Health Month, through a conference and multilingual publications on dedicated project webpages.
Participate and Share
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Are you aged 18 to 29 and an active scuba diver? Participate in the questionnaire and help us gather evidence for this research.
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Do you have dive buddies in this age range? Share this news and invite them to join!
