Depression and anxiety among students: Kiel students help | NDR.de – News
Status: 29.05.2024 05:00 a.m.
A team of 35 psychology students from Kiel offers workshops on mental health in schools. Their goal is to destigmatize mental disorders and show students where they can find help when they are not feeling well.
Toleen Nachtigall only completed her high school diploma last year at the Friedrichsort Community School in Kiel. Now, as a psychology student, she stands in front of a class and talks about mental illnesses. “We’re going to play: I’ve never,” she announces at the start of the workshop with the twelfth-graders and begins to shout into the room: “I’ve never had nightmares. I’ve never had trouble getting out of bed in the morning. I’ve never felt lonely.”
If these and other statements are true, the 15 students hold up their thumbs. If it is not true, they keep their thumbs down. They sit together in a circle of chairs and see how others react. They then evaluate.
“I found it nice to see that we all felt almost the same, except for a few questions,” said one student, summing up her feelings after the game. “I think the questions help you draw conclusions and see how you really feel,” added another student.
Further information
Workshops are held in schools across Europe
““Mind the Mind” is the name of the workshop that Toleen is holding here together with fellow student Laura Kruse. It belongs to the European Federation of Psychology Students Associations (EFPSA) and is intended to help destigmatize mental illnesses. For nine years, psychology students have been going to schools across Europe to work on the symptoms of mental illnesses in interactive workshops, to show that it can affect anyone and where help is available.
Kiel students put theory into practice
Each workshop is individually tailored to the grade level and needs of the participants.
Since this year, the workshops have also been taking place in Schleswig-Holstein. “I hope to encourage students to talk more about their mental health,” says Toleen, explaining her motivation. It is also a good opportunity to pass on the mostly theoretical study content in a practical and meaningful way. She and her fellow students give the workshops on a voluntary basis.
The workshops are preceded by intensive training
Toleen is part of a team of 35 psychology students in Kiel. Charlotte Heindorf was at the beginning of this group. She knew the workshops from her bachelor’s degree in Leipzig. “I noticed in the very first workshop that I really enjoy working with students,” she says. “I just notice that with this knowledge I can make a difference in the workshops – and that gives me a feeling of self-efficacy.”
Charlotte (left) and Lisa founded the “Mind the Mind” group in Kiel and coordinate the workshops.
She then moved to Kiel for her master’s degree. She took “Mind the Mind” with her and founded the local group together with fellow student Lisa Lutze. Anyone who wants to take part receives special training on the content and especially on didactics. After that, it’s a matter of looking for schools where they can hold their workshops.
Many young people affected by mental illness
“It’s not that easy to find schools,” says Lisa. Many of the schools we contacted did not respond – even though the offer was free of charge for them. Contact with the community school in Friedrichsort was made through Toleen. “The problem of mental disorders is something that concerns the whole school very, very much, because we notice that more and more students are affected by mental illnesses,” says headmaster Manfred Behrens.
Toleen explains the situation of the young people in more detail: “I have friends who are teachers and they keep telling me what kind of pressure students have to endure right now, because of grades, because of climate change, the global political situation, because of the effects of the pandemic.”
Further information
Workshops are well received in Friedrichsort
This is already the eighth workshop to take place in Friedrichsort – for different classes and levels. The feedback so far has been consistently positive, say both the school management and the students. How well the workshop is received by the students is also shown by the fact that everyone works well together and no one leaves the room – even though the event is not compulsory.
15 students take part in the workshop on this day.
“Even if a student has no current contact with the topic or does not feel quite ready to deal with the topic, this student may be able to draw on it later,” says Charlotte.
Stars without mental health problems? “That’s not the case”
Back in the classroom: “We’ve brought a few people with us that some of you may know from the media,” Laura explains the next slide. It shows photos of well-known people. Below it says what mental illnesses they are struggling with.
“Do you have any idea why we are showing you this slide?” Laura asks the group. “Stars are usually portrayed as the perfect picture, they don’t have any problems. As you can see, that’s not the case,” answers a student, pointing to the photos.
No one has to share personal information in the workshop
Depression and anxiety disorders are the two mental illnesses that they always address in their workshops. The teacher of the class or course can also choose another disorder, which will then also be discussed.
Videos
Nobody needs to share personal information. In order to create space for this, the teacher is not present during the 90-minute workshop. Afterwards, the students still stay on site for about half an hour. They say there is almost always more to talk about.
Workshops are designed to stimulate conversations among students
The workshop is over for the twelfth grade at the Friedrichsort Community School. Some of them write on the board what they have learned from the 90 minutes: “That a mental disorder is not a bad thing,” “How diverse disorders can be,” “Talking about problems.” The students then leave the room in small groups.
Toleen and Laura are happy with the workshop that day. They hope that their content will spark conversations among the students. That the phrase “How are you?” will become a real invitation to share your inner feelings without feeling ashamed or stigmatized.
Further information
Ethel Purdy – Medical Blogger & Pharmacist
Bridging the world of wellness and science, Ethel Purdy is a professional voice in healthcare with a passion for sharing knowledge. At 36, she stands at the confluence of medical expertise and the written word, holding a pharmacy degree acquired under the rigorous education systems of Germany and Estonia.
Her pursuit of medicine was fueled by a desire to understand the intricacies of human health and to contribute to the community’s understanding of it. Transitioning seamlessly into the realm of blogging, Ethel has found a platform to demystify complex medical concepts for the everyday reader.
Ethel’s commitment to the world of medicine extends beyond her professional life into a personal commitment to health and wellness. Her hobbies reflect this dedication, often involving research on the latest medical advances, participating in wellness communities, and exploring the vast and varied dimensions of health.
Join Ethel as she distills her pharmaceutical knowledge into accessible wisdom, fostering an environment where science meets lifestyle and everyone is invited to learn. Whether you’re looking for insights into the latest health trends or trustworthy medical advice, Ethel’s blog is your gateway to the nexus of healthcare and daily living.
