Romania’s post-Communist transition has led to a profound socio-economic transformation, shift in cultural values and evolving family dynamics. Collectivist structures, which once provided a sense of community and social cohesion, have been replaced by rapid urbanisation and individualism, often leaving young people without traditional support networks. The transition also resulted in economic instability, disparities in resource distribution and underdeveloped mental health infrastructure, all of which exacerbate youth vulnerability to mental health issues.

High levels of unemployment, poverty and social inequality further contribute to stress and anxiety among young Romanians, particularly in rural and marginalised communities where access to mental health services is limited. Additionally, mental health stigma remains entrenched, shaped by cultural and historical factors that hinder open dialogue and discourage people from seeking help.

The Resilient Roots project addresses these pressing mental health challenges by focusing on youth wellbeing within a rapidly transitioning post-Communist society. The project employs the relational wellbeing (RWB) framework to explore how individual, social and cultural factors can be leveraged to help Romanian youth aged 15 to 24 become more resilient.

With a focus on participatory research, the project empowers young people as co-researchers, with an established youth steering committee (YSC) and youth implementation board (YIB) to involve them in decision-making and project implementation. An innovation lab will bring together youth, stakeholders and experts to co-design community-based interventions aimed at enhancing resilience and reducing stigma.

The project will gather qualitative data through focus groups, interviews and participatory video diaries to capture the lived experiences of Romanian youth. These insights will inform the development and validation of a culturally tailored RWB scale and a comprehensive quantitative survey.

By merging traditional mental health research with cultural-historical exploration, this project has the potential to achieve a significant scientific breakthrough: a model for understanding and promoting RWB in contexts shaped by rapid societal transition.

By adopting this perspective, the study extends beyond individual-centric models of wellbeing to consider the interconnectedness of young people with their families, communities and broader societal structures. This approach allows for a comprehensive understanding of how post-communist sociocultural dynamics, such as the legacy of collectivism and the growing influence of individualism, affect youth wellbeing in Romania. In addressing RWB, Resilient Roots is set to contribute profound insights into how Romanian youth’s mental health is maintained and bolstered by protective factors stemming from collective community practices and the lingering effects of a collectivist ideology.

Rooted in the understanding that mental health is a multifaceted concept, the study seeks to shed light on the relationship between personal resilience and societal factors in a post-communist cultural context, an area that has been largely overlooked in current academic literature.

The research aims to co-create culturally sensitive, scalable prevention strategies that are effective and accessible, particularly to low-resource and marginalised communities. By addressing the complex nature of mental health risks and protective factors, this study seeks to ensure that preventive care extends beyond a high-income context to embrace a universally accessible model of mental healthcare.

The project approach aligns with Patton’s theory of strategic learning, which emphasises using real-time data and iterative reflection to adapt and enhance project strategies effectively. Developmental evaluation will be employed as a key methodology to facilitate strategic learning through continuous monitoring, evaluation and adaptive feedback loops. This will ensure that the project is responsive to the evolving needs of young people and their communities.