Trusted adults, courageous young people: A relational public health model

Background
Inderøy municipality established the Ung i Lag (Young Together) initiative to strengthen young people’s mental health and reduce social exclusion by developing inclusive, youth‑led and non‑performance based meeting places. The initiative was grounded in the Trøndelag Model for knowledge‑based public health work and developed through collaboration between the municipality, schools and the voluntary sector. Fragmented interventions, limited coordination and a lack of open meeting places and trusted adults created the need for a more holistic, relational model.

Method
A process evaluation was conducted using a triangulated approach, including qualitative focus group interviews with young people, municipal and voluntary youth workers, project managers and project owners, and a questionnaire survey among lower and upper secondary students compared with Ungdata, Norway’s national youth survey. Ongoing participation processes and the annually revised youth plan captured young people’s perspectives and needs over time.

Results
A cross‑sectoral foundation was established, giving the working group real decision‑making authority, supported by a low‑threshold funding mechanism and a clarified role for trusted adults. This increased engagement and made interventions more targeted. A youth worker acted as a key linking figure with visible presence and direct recruitment through channels young people use. Open meeting places broadened the activity range, increased accessibility and offered new entry points for young people previously outside organised arenas. These were operated by voluntary actors in dialogue with the municipality, with young people in key roles. Cross‑sector collaboration strengthened coordination and predictable adult presence, though some adults were uneasy about giving young people autonomy, at times limiting inclusive activities.

Conclusions
(1) Structural and cultural building blocks—cross‑sectoral arenas, low‑threshold funding, trusted adults, a youth‑driven philosophy and collaborative culture—make co‑creation workable.
(2) Relational leadership by stable, trusted adults strengthens trust and recruitment.
(3) Targeted personal and digital recruitment lowers thresholds and supports ongoing feedback.
(4) When young people own ideas, implementation and evaluation, relevance and sustainability increase.
(5) Inclusive youth environments require adults who give responsibility and show trust.

Implications
Inderøy’s experience shows that preventive and health‑promoting work is strengthened when co‑creation is embedded in stable structures and relational methods. This approach fosters mastery, belonging and social connectedness while reducing exclusion and strengthening young people’s resources within public health practice.