New prescriptions - ways of building motivation and self-treatment

The program of Epic Light media activities by Sosped Foundation publishes media content that is created by challenged young adults in peer groups. With the help of staff members, participants build media skills and find channels to express themselves in a powerful way. The program publishes a magazine (Valoa!), produces radio shows, videos, blogs, and social media posts, and organises cultural events, empowering both the creators and the audience.

Another Scandinavian example is the “Efterskole”=Afterschool: a unique Danish independent residential school. Presently more than 30 thousand students are attending one of the approximately 240 schools. A research project shows that the young people who have gone to “efterskole” in the 10th grade have a 15 % better chance of completing their later education. Research also shows that former Efterskole-students become comparatively more active participants in society. Thoughts from a former student: “When I was 14 years old, I was diagnosed with clinical depression. In Denmark a lot of these “efterskole” have a hobby focus, so the students have something in common when they start. I went to a school with a focus on music, songwriting and creative practices and it gave me a huge sense of purpose and belonging and completely turned my life around. I know many young people who share similar experiences.”

5. New prescriptions - ways of building motivation and self-treatment

The tools of gamification can be helpful during the mental healing process. Engaging youngsters in the digital area requires constant therapeutic innovation to wake up their interest. There are already videogames in the market created with therapeutic tools found after studies. For example, the game “EndeavorRX by Akili Interactive” was created to treat ADHD, and made history in June 2020 as the first-ever prescription-strength videogame approved by the Federal Drug Administration.

Since 2001, Sweden has been using a method in the medical service to provide for free physical activity to citizens who need it for prevention or treatment. The activities are on a wide range scale, it is the individual’s needs that decide which one is most suitable.

Similarly, from the early 1990s, Reykjavik has offered 6 to 18-year-old residents a hobby voucher worth 350 euros per year. This has been quantified as associated with reduced numbers of substance-abuse cases. Today the city boosts the most alcohol-abstinent youth in Europe.

In the end, we would like to emphasise the importance of motivation and self-treatment. In Sweden, medical staff can via information flow through trusted web pag-