The initiator of the working group is Michael Maior, a student in the KU’s teaching degree program. Personal experience supplied him with a reason for founding the working group: "I myself underwent psychotherapy over a period of four years - and it worked! Since there are many people who struggle with mental health problems but don’t know anything about how and where they can get help, I decided to start an initiative." However, the working group’s focus of attention is not only on existing mental health issues, it also tackles questions like prevention and mindfulness - combined with the underlying attitude of "It's okay not to be okay". Even if many of Maiors co-members are psychology students, there are also students from other faculties.
"We explicitly do not offer psychotherapy ourselves, but we want to lower inhibitions that prevent those affected from seeking professional help. After all, it is precisely the taboo surrounding mental disorders that continues to affect people all over the world," says Maior. To this end, beside having meetings for casual exchange, the working group is planning to set up a student point of contact that will direct afflicted students towards professional help. In order for this service to support students adequately, the working group has consulted with the Chair of Clinical and Biological Psychology at the KU and the Office for Psychological-Psychotherapeutic Counseling.
In addition, the working group is planning to take part in the European project “Nightlines”. Here, student listeners offer student callers an anonymous night phone hotline, where they simply listen and give tips on further contact points and services. The association backing the project offers training, workshops and supervision.
For more information on the “AK Mental Health Awareness”, please refer to https://www.ku.de/konvent/ueber-uns/arbeitskreise/ak.
