“BOOST was the highlight of the week for me”

In 2023, things aren't going well for the then thirteen-year-old Mex. She's not feeling well and is stuck at school. Mex, her parents and the Utrecht Neighborhood Teams start looking for a form of support that can help her further. In December of that year, Mex joins the youth group BOOST (until recently BuKoJou, see box). "Those months in the BOOST group changed me," says Mex (now 15) during a double interview with her mother Eline. 

Eline (49): “We thought it was important that Mex would try out that group, to gain positive experiences with other young people in a safe and professional setting. And to experience that she is not the only one with questions and problems. To be honest, I found it quite exciting. Especially because things often went wrong with her in groups before. I was also a bit afraid that she would get deeper into the pit because of the stories of other young people.”

To get used to
It takes some getting used to for Mex in the BOOST group. She normally finds groups quite difficult and this is an above-average large and busy group. She is not the only participant who thinks so. And the BOOST supervisors also notice it. They respond immediately to the different signals by dividing the group of twelve into three small groups as often as possible. They look carefully at who Mex feels safe with and who she fits in with.

Stimuli, gender and self-image
The young people in the BOOST group choose the themes they want to work on themselves. Mex says: “For us it was mainly about stimuli, gender and self-image. I listened more than I talked. Sometimes I heard other young people tell things that I had experienced too. I could then give them advice about what had worked for me or what I could have done better in retrospect.”

Not always easy
Mex says: “It wasn’t always easy. What I really didn’t like was the Christmas break in between. Because of that, it took a few weeks before I saw everyone again and it didn’t feel so safe the first time after the break.” Eline adds: “We really had to pull her to go. We are proud that she went back after the break and overcame something that she found quite difficult.” Mex is also happy that she persevered. About the meetings afterwards, she says: “BOOST was the highlight of the week for me.”

Changed
Mex continues: “I have learned to tell more about myself. I also recognize when I am overstimulated. And I have made two friends from the BOOST group. Those months in the BOOST group have changed me. I have grown and feel better about myself. I have made a kind of decision that I no longer want to be depressed and I am more at peace about my situation, even though not everything has been resolved yet. I am taking small steps. I am trying to go back to school and do my homework. I am getting home support for that.” Her eyes start to shine when she talks about her plans to find a part-time job at a pet shop: “It is so interesting, all those animals. I like the fish and the frogs the most. Later I want to do something creative, I don't know exactly what yet.”

Completely different child
Eline is also positive about her daughter's BOOST time: "I completely recognize what Mex says. She has gotten to know herself better. She also learned to make and maintain more contact with peers and she has learned to indicate boundaries. She has become a completely different child in the past year. Not only because of the BOOST group, but it certainly contributed to that. What I found particularly positive about BOOST was the space Mex was given to do what felt good to her. She didn't necessarily have to interact with everyone. There was no pressure, no must."

BOOST group or not?
When Eline is asked whether she would advise other parents to let their child participate in a youth group, she says 'Yes' without hesitation. She immediately adds that it does depend on the problems of the young person. Eline finds the recognition and acknowledgement that young people find in each other particularly valuable. Mex agrees with her mother. Her tip for young people who have questions and problems: "Just try BOOST!"

About the BOOST groups
In 2020, during the corona crisis, Buurtteams Utrecht, JoU and KOOS Utrecht were faced with a huge increase in the number of young people with mental health problems. The three youth (support) organizations joined forces and that led to the first BukoJou group: a youth group intended to support and improve the mental health of young people.

This approach proved to be very successful. Young people, parents, supervisors, youth care partners and the municipality of Utrecht are positive about the results and the collaboration between the partners is going well. The project even arouses national and international interest. That is why it was decided to start youth groups in all Utrecht neighborhoods as of January 2025 to improve the mental well-being of Utrecht's young people.

📷 iStock – For privacy reasons, Mex is not in the photo herself.