Why Berlin is focusing on the mental health of its citizens

The corona pandemic has probably left its mark on everyone. All ages, all professional groups, all regions were affected. Vulnerable groups in particular have suffered in recent years. Children and young people, the elderly and the sick, people with low incomes and people with mental illnesses. All the fears, insecurities, the economic losses, the drifting apart of society hit her particularly hard.

The effects can be seen in the numbers in the health reports. A sharp increase in mental illnesses in the population was already noted during the corona pandemic. At the same time, there were long waiting lists for therapy and even clinics.

In 2021, the most common reason for reporting sick was mental illness

“In the first two years of the corona pandemic, days of absence due to psychological stress increased enormously,” says Kai Kiesinger in an interview with FOCUS online. “In 2021, the most common reason for reporting sick was mental illness. And in the DAK health report 2023, days missed due to mental illness are at an all-time high.”

Kiesinger is managing director of KIP gGmbH – Society for Crisis Intervention and Crisis Prevention in Berlin. Violence and suicide prevention is particularly important to the small team of four active employees. Since November 2021, thanks to funding from the Senate Department for Science, Health and Care, the KIP has been able to provide Berliners with a special offer: free training for psychological first aid
MHFA First Responder Program.

Target mentally ill people and provide help

Mental Health First Aid – MHFA for short – is a program in Germany funded by the Beisheim Foundation, sponsored by the Central Institute for Mental Health in Mannheim, which aims to enable people to recognize mental problems and support those affected, as well as in crisis situations to react appropriately.

The 12-hour course not only imparts knowledge about different mental illnesses. Participants also learn how to specifically address those affected and provide help. Just like the classic first aid course for physical emergency situations, the MHFA program is intended to enable people to intervene appropriately in psychological crises.

The program is already established in many countries, but in Germany it is only just gaining popularity. The courses can be carried out online, but many German cities also offer face-to-face courses. However, Berlin is so far the only city that allows its citizens to be trained as MHFA first aiders free of charge.

Destigmatize mental illness

“Crisis intervention and suicide prevention are our major concerns. When we were asked whether we wanted to establish a mental health first aid program in Berlin, we found it exciting. “Especially because it is based on scientific evidence and has already been tested in numerous countries,” says Kai Kiesinger.

The high psychological stress during the corona pandemic was an urgent reason to bring the program to Berlin. “At the same time, our goal is to contribute to the destigmatization of mental illnesses. We want to remove taboos from talking about it and make it normal to deal with it. It is important that mental illness is addressed as early as possible. That’s why it’s such a big advantage if the environment is appropriately trained and if there is a psychological problem, it’s noticed early on so that the person can be given appropriate advice,” adds Kiesinger.

This year there will be 1,050 people who have completed the program in Berlin. In the previous year, 2022, there were around 500. The team would like to see even greater participation next year because: “The program has network effects: the knowledge is passed on,” says Kiesinger and points out: “But we wouldn’t have 1,050 Reaching people if it wasn’t free.”

Poorer people are more at risk of mental illness

The course normally costs 220 euros. That is not a small sum for many people. And poorer people are even more at risk of mental illness than wealthy people. “Their risk of suffering from mental illness is up to three times higher than that of wealthy people. That’s why it’s important that this population group in particular can benefit from the program.”

According to Krystina Mainz, who also works at KIP Berlin, the free offer means that the group of participants is very heterogeneous: “We have 18-year-olds who are being trained, but also 75-year-olds who are taking part in courses. We also have very different professional groups among the participants, including students and non-employed people. Of course, there are many who work in the social sector, especially with children and young people. But also people in managerial positions who realize that they are reaching their limits, want to continue their education and take on responsibility.”

A common denominator is noticeable in many courses: “The participants are or were either affected by mental illnesses themselves, or they have people in their environment who are affected by them.”

Participants show great gratitude

The response to the courses is very positive: “We regularly receive emails after the courses. Many participants show great gratitude that they were able to directly apply the knowledge they were able to gain in the courses, that they now felt more confident, were able to make offers, were able to have conversations and no longer felt helpless or powerless “It’s common, but now you have a tool in your hand,” says Mainz.

However, the knowledge is not only helpful when dealing with people in need of help – the participants themselves also benefit from learning to know and assess their own limits and capacities.

Why other cities and municipalities should follow suit

Kai Kiesinger would like to see other cities and communities follow suit in the future and offer the courses free of charge: “I think especially in metropolises like Hamburg, Munich, Leipzig – cities where you can live anonymously and social contacts don’t play such a big role As in smaller communities, it would definitely be appropriate to take Berlin as an example and also invest in prevention. Yes, prevention is initially an investment – ​​but in the end it saves you a lot of money.”

In any case, in Berlin there is a huge rush for MHFA first aid training: “The demand is so high that we can’t cover it at all. Yesterday we published new courses on the homepage, 20 minutes later they were already fully booked. This shows us how great the interest, but also the need, is.”

You can find more information about mental health in our topic special.