How Mental Health Coaches Help in Schools

Worries, fears and stress have been increasing among children and young people for years. The results of a model project have now been presented in which mental health coaches provide help and education in schools.

Sina Mönch is one of more than 80 mental health coaches who have been working nationwide for a year. She works at a middle school in Sulzbach-Rosenberg, Bavaria. She is the contact person for around 400 students from fifth to tenth grade on the subject of mental and psychological health.

“We see a lot of need for students to talk about pressure, stress and emotional strain,” says Mönch. Especially after the Corona pandemic, it is clear that young people have a great need for support.

Federal Minister for Family Affairs Lisa Paus launched the program a year ago. The motto: “Say what is. Do what helps.” The federal government provided ten million euros for it. Now the minister is drawing up an initial interim assessment: The program is small, but has a big impact. “It creates the space to talk about mental health“says Paus. It also strengthens young people and encourages them to recognize their strengths.

Students should build resilience

The coaches’ main task is prevention. They organize open events at schools where they educate people about mental health issues and talk to young people.

“What am I good at? What do I do when I don’t feel so good? Where can I get my strength back? These are all questions that we discuss,” says Sina Mönch. The goal is for the students to build resilience, i.e. psychological resistance. In addition to preventive work, the coaches are also available for one-on-one discussions.

Annika Schramm also experiences again and again how pressing the problems of young people can be. She is a mental health coach at a school in Munich. “Unfortunately, frequent issues among students are depression and anxiety. This can even lead to suicidal thoughts,” says Schramm. This is worrying, also because many students tell her that they have not yet confided in another adult about their worries.

In such cases, the coaches refer the young people to other people and help them find therapy options. Many of the coaches have studied social work or psychology and have all completed training as mental health coaches.

Positive feedback on model project

The model project is scientifically supervised by the University of Leipzig and independently evaluated. According to a first preliminary evaluation report, three quarters of school principals say that the coaches are well to very well received by their students.

“90 percent of all participants want the program to continue,” reports Julian Schmitz. The child and youth psychologist is leading the study. “These topics – mental health, resilience, stress management – are exactly the topics that young people bring with them,” Schmitz continues. Especially with a view to the multiple crises that are currently affecting young people. One could say “that the program got off to a good start and is well accepted.”

Criticism of short-term financing

Now it is a question of continued financing. There is enough money until the summer holidays in 2025 – anything beyond that is still part of the deliberations in the budget committee. Family Minister Paus told the ARD Capital StudioShe said she was confident that the project could be continued. However, she did not provide any concrete information about a possible expansion of the program.

According to the evaluation, the relatively short funding periods were the biggest criticism of the participants in the program. This creates uncertainty and poor planning.

Mental health coach Schramm would have liked a funding commitment of three to five years. It takes a lot of time and energy to gain the trust of students and school management. “But this trust is incredibly important when it comes to such a sensitive topic as mental health,” says Schramm.

She wants to continue to have an open ear for the mental problems of her students. The need seems great: according to current studies, at least one in five young people has mental problems.