School 4 Mind” action day: Students fight against psychological stress!

School 4 Mind” action day: Students fight against psychological stress!

On December 5, 2025, the day of action on mental health in schools took place under the title “School 4 Mind”. This initiative, which was launched by the “Run to the Hills” Foundation and Mental Health Crowd GmbH, aims to educate students about mental illnesses and take preventive action. At several schools, including the Neuhaus middle school and the vocational school in Miesbach, the students experienced a day full of valuable information and discussions.

There was a particular focus on the importance of early education: “We have to talk about mental health from the 5th grade onwards,” says Luitpold Grabmeyer, the founder of the foundation. A shocking 50% of mental illnesses begin before the age of 15. In conversations, students report how much pressure they feel from social media. Current studies show that problematic use of social media, which is particularly common among girls, is associated with significantly poorer mental and social well-being. 11% of young people show signs of problematic behavior when using these platforms, with 36% being constantly online, mainly to stay in touch with friends.

Challenges in the digital world

Digital media usage has increased significantly during the pandemic. 85% of 10 to 17 year olds in Germany regularly use digital games and social media. But this also brings with it dangers. Cyberbullying is, as many students reported, a serious problem. Around 5% of children and young people in Germany are affected by it, and the psychological consequences should not be underestimated: fears, sleep disorders and even suicidal thoughts are common companions of those affected.

WHO highlights the need for media literacy. Dr. Hans Henri P. Kluge emphasizes that targeted measures such as age restrictions and responsible design of digital tools are crucial to supporting young people with their online behavior. The foundation therefore plans to continue the action days at other schools and is increasingly looking for support from donors.

Changes and perspectives

In addition to informing the students, there was a parents' evening to involve their legal guardians, which, however, met with little interest. This highlights that awareness of the challenges students face in their digital world may not yet be widespread enough.

However, it is encouraging to see that a large number of students were extremely interested in the topics covered during the action days. Dominique de Marné, founder of Mental Health Crowd GmbH, confirmed the great pressure that both students and teachers suffer, especially due to the high levels of stress and the shortage of teachers. Sensitive action and open dialogue are required to protect the well-being of the young generation.

The “School 4 Mind” day of action shows how important it is to tackle the issue of mental health in schools aggressively and that there is still a lot to be achieved in the local context. To ensure that the mental health of our students continues to be better in the future, initiatives like these are essential.

For in-depth coverage of youth mental health, you can use the information from Mercury use, while gaining insights into digital media and their effects pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov originate. Further valuable information can be found at WHO.