This year’s “World Mental Health Day,” which takes place annually on October 10th, is under the motto “It’s time to prioritize mental health in the workplace.” Next to the Work and organizational psychology of the AMD Salzburgsits down too GRANDPARENTS is increasingly focusing on mental health – and especially in the education sector: “Children and young people of course also need conditions in their environment and at their ‘workplace’ – i.e. at school – that promote mental health,” says AVOS health officer Katharina Sills, MSc.
She is supporting the new project on behalf of AVOS crisisFEST pluswhich supports educational institutions in doing just that. “In this way, we strengthen educators in their own mental health, give them tools and tools and help them network – both with each other and with contact points and regional support offers.”
In addition, AVOS offers with the Focus on mental health Offers to strengthen psychosocial health for students. “Using workshops, we make young people aware of the importance of mental health and strengthen them by giving them tools,” says AVOS health officer Mag. Sylvia Schweighofer. Among other things, the young people learn how to have a positive influence on their mental well-being and how to better deal with daily demands. And the relevance of different areas of well-being – from physical, social and mental to feelings – is also made clear.
But psychological suffering should also be removed from taboos. “We should and must talk about it, because help is always possible,” AVOS health officer Ilma Ulu, BA, is convinced. She works in Project worth livingwhich has made suicide prevention in Salzburg’s schools its mission. Among other things, it is about looking, perceiving and connecting with the environment. The focus is also on better recognizing signs that someone is not feeling well, providing basic knowledge on the subject of depression and suicidality, recognizing warning signs and dealing with them, as well as strengthening one’s own mental health.
AVOS as implementer of three projects
Generally is crisisFEST plus a cooperation project between AVOS, Styria Vitalis and PPH Augustinum on behalf of FGÖ, Federal Ministry for Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection and the Competence Center for Future Health Promotion. The Focus on mental health is a project from the Health Promotion Fund Salzburg and worth living is a project by the state of Salzburg and the Healthy Austria Fund. AVOS is active as a converter for all three. World Mental Health Day was founded by the World Federation for Mental Health, founded in 1948 and currently active in more than 90 countries.
