In the future, young people should be able to receive psychological help from the state of Upper Austria not only by phone call, but also by voice message or chat message. This is how you want to react to the demands of young people, says Social Provincial Councilor Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer (VP). “We have to meet the boys where they are. Many find it easier to write about their problems or record short voice messages.”
An online platform to which the messages can be uploaded is currently in the works. In the future, the service should not only be available to young people.
“Of course we currently have a lot of problem areas to work on,” says Secretary of State for Youth Claudia Plakolm (VP). “But we must not forget about our young people and our future either.”
More antidepressants
The corona pandemic has severe effects on the psyche of young people: eating disorders, depression and the feeling of loneliness have increased. According to the social department of the state of Upper Austria, the amount of prescribed antidepressants has increased by 41 percent. 350,000 requests for information would be received annually. 19,000 consultations take place.
But many parents would also ask the state’s youth service for help. Much is unclear: “The parents ask, for example, what self-injury really means and when it occurs,” says Hattmannsdorfer. “But our main task is to remove taboos. People can no longer be afraid to talk about their problems.”
Source: Nachrichten
