Paderborn University has been committed to the well-being of its employees as part of a workplace health promotion programme since 1996. The "Healthy University" project, headed by Sandra Bischof, is in charge of all activities relating to this topic - including regular information forums. The "Mental Health" action day, for example, focussed on mental well-being. A clinic cooperation was also presented.
"We have bundled the topics of mental health, addiction prevention and stress prevention and united our broad network," says Bischof. "Our day of action brought together expertise and interested parties and the great response from staff and students showed me how important this topic has become."
The idea of networking is actively practised at Paderborn University and is ensured by the Company Contact Persons for Prevention (BAP) and persons of trust for employees. In both cases, Paderborn University employees are available as a collegial point of contact and counselling.
The BAP team focusses on the topics of prevention and addiction disorders and the associated psychological stress. What both groups have in common is that they offer the opportunity to talk confidentially about one's own stress situation, develop solutions and find further offers of help. Such an offer of help has now also been created through a cooperation with the Median Centre for Behavioural Medicine Bad Pyrmont. The clinic has the capacity to admit employees and students of Paderborn University to acute medical or rehabilitative psychotherapeutic treatment in a timely manner.
The day of action was enriched with a lecture by the self-proclaimed "will creator" Andreas Niedrig. "Self-esteem and self-confidence are key concepts for a happy life," summarised the speaker.
The fair in the university's central foyer attracted students and staff alike. In addition to the BAP and counsellors, the Psychosocial Counselling Service of the Student Advice Centre, the Service Centre for Students with Disabilities, University Sports and Student Health Management, Caritasverband Paderborn e.V. - Suchtkrankenhilfe, the Self-Help Contact Point, the Social Psychiatric Service of the Paderborn District Health Office and Techniker Krankenkasse were also involved. The latter is an official health partner of Paderborn University.
"The interest in the event has shown that mental health is important to people," says Bischof. "By organising the day of action, the 'Healthy University' is fulfilling its task of actively bringing current health issues to the university public, including in the context of prevention work."
This text has been translated automatically.
