Relationships and the psychological well-being of young people will be the focus of the international congress held by the ICS of the University on June 6 and 7.

On June 6 and 7, the Institute for Culture and Society (ICS) of the University of Navarra will bring together experts from different fields to reflect on this topic. congress international conference 'Youth, Relationships and Psychological Well-Being' will bring together experts from different fields to reflect on this topic topic. These conference close the first edition of challenge ICS 22-23, an initiative of research transversal that studies the psychological well-being in adolescence and youth with an emphasis on interpersonal relationships and the impact of technology. This is part of the 20-25 Health and Wellbeing Strategy of the University of Navarra.

Specifically, four axes will be addressed: mental disorders, the relationship with new technologies, behavioral addictions and the integration of young people into society. "These are important challenges of great relevance at this time," says Gonzalo Arrondo, researcher of group 'Mind-brain' of the ICS and coordinator of challenge. The congress, which will be opened by Luis Campos, director general of Planning, Coordination, Innovation and assessment of Public Policies of the Government of Navarra and Pablo Pérez, director scientific of the ICS, will be attended by researchers from different Spanish and European universities.

Among them, Jordi Alonso, from Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona, will present his project to strengthen mental health in university students; Tobias Dienlin, from the University of Vienna, on the impact of digital media on the well-being of young people; Zsolt Demetrovics from the University of Gibraltar will address in his discussion paper the risks and harms related to behavioral addictions in adolescents and young adults; and Marge Unt from the University of Tallinn will focus on the consequences of labor market insecurity for the well-being and health of young people.

Arrondo values that "to be able to end the challenge with a congress of this level is a privilege. However, it is the line of goal and also the beginning of lines, projects and collaborations that all those involved trust will continue over time". In this sense, he makes a "tremendously positive" balance: "During these almost two years, many activities of both scientific and informative nature have been carried out. It has also allowed external researchers to come to work at the ICS for periods ranging from one week to several months, creating synergies and new projects. It has also fostered the strengthening of internal collaborations between researchers on topics of common interest".

The researcher considers that initiatives such as the challenge ICS are key in the current research in social sciences that "is heading towards an increasingly collaborativeparadigm , with complex projects". Thus, he points out that the ICS and its researchers must "create links with national and international experts that allow us to remain at the forefront in the research on the welfare of young people and other issues of concern to modern society".