Current notice – Mental Health group offer of the ÖH:
The Federal Representation of the Austrian National Union of Students (ÖH) offers students in Vienna free group sessions on stress reduction. The offer is aimed at students who feel burdened and stressed by the pandemic and/or studies and want to learn techniques and methods to better cope with stress. Registrations until mid-October 2022! For more information, contact and dates, click here: Mental Health Group Offer
What is the ÖH helpline?
Counseling hours of the ÖH-Helpline
Monday: 15:00-18:00
Wednesday: 16:00-18:00
Thursday: 16:00-18:00
Why does the ÖH-Helpline exist?
The 2011 Student Social Survey shows that a large proportion of students struggle with psychological distress during the course of their studies. Specifically, 47% of students say they suffer from complaints that make studying difficult – but only very few of them actually seek help. For example, less than 10% report ever having contacted the Department’s psychological student counseling service. In addition, waiting times for a therapy place on a medical certificate can be very long, especially in metropolitan areas, and contacting emergency mental health services is often a major hurdle.
In order to lower the inhibition threshold to seek help and address problems, we would also like to offer students the possibility of telephone and anonymous counseling. This way, waiting times can be shortened and a contact person can be found quickly. As the official representation and contact point for students, it is our concern as ÖH to create an additional offer.
Psychological study counseling
- Test anxiety
- Vocational Orientation
- Learning training
- Study choice
- Bachelor & Seminar Theses
- Diploma students
Anonymous telephone counseling by trained personnel of the association for psychotherapy
An ÖH helpline has been set up at +43/1/585 33 33, which students can call if they are suffering from excessive demands or psychological complaints, for example, and need help. The ÖH-Helpline is supervised by specially trained employees of the Association for Psychotherapy and is thus intended to provide a first anonymous point of contact. Following telephone counseling, various options for further counseling and/or psychological support are available, adapted to the specific situation.
Possibilities for further consultation
If there is a more serious concern, there is the possibility to arrange a first personal consultation with trained staff of the Association for Psychotherapy and to discuss concrete problems. After that, psychological care can be arranged.
Therapy
If it is determined through telephone counseling or a counseling session that a severe mental illness or depression is present, it is possible to get a therapy place financed through the psychotherapy fund of the ÖH-Bundesvertretung. We want to help students who would otherwise have to suffer from long waiting times, unbureaucratically and without long waiting times.
Pilot Project Peer Group Therapy
For many less serious problems, students are already helped by having a space where they can talk to others who are affected. In order to enable and promote this direct help from students for students, free group therapies by peers are offered in cooperation with the Student Council for Psychology at the University of Vienna. Students who have participated in group therapy can also subsequently train as peers themselves and work on the project. For the time being, peer group therapy is a pilot project in Vienna, which is to be extended to the whole of Austria if the students’ feedback is positive.
Consultation by the social department of the ÖH-Bundesvertretung
In the case of organizational or financial difficulties, without any accompanying psychological complaints, those affected are referred to the social department of the ÖH Bundesvertretung for appropriate expert help.