EMPOWERING MENTAL HEALTH LITERACY AMONG VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING-TEACHING STUDENTS IN GERMANY

Over the past few years, a constant deterioration in the mental health of students in Germany can be observed.Among other things, this can be traced back to increasing pressure and exhaustion caused by reform processes in the higher education system itself, as well as an increase in external stressors, such as social and political crises.In addition, potential discrimination based on socio-structural characteristics (e.g., gender, sexuality) within the university can have an individual impact on (mental) health equity.This is particularly important for students on vocational teacher training courses, as they are a very heterogeneous academic group that differs significantly from average cohorts in such aspects as age, care responsibilities, occupational experience and academic background.Also, with regard to their future field of employment, prospective teachers have a distinct requirement for high mental health literacy (MHL).As teachers, they are exposed to an environment in which the stress and burnout rate of employees is significantly higher than average (especially considering the drastic increase in the teacher shortage in Germany).Yet the potential can also be emphasized, as teachers can serve as multipliers for the transfer of MHL through their dual role as both learners and teachers.In order to promote the individual MHL of this specific target group, it is crucial to create a study environment that takes their mental health into account and also supports the explicit development of competence.Continuous consideration of the students' perspective is essential for both.Therefore, in context of a research project, students are actively involved in a participatory research design in the curricular and structural design of health-promoting framework conditions and formats within the university.The first approach is based on the curricular integration of MHL-promoting content or the participatory development of advice, information and support formats.Moreover, a setting approach is used to interlink the behavioral and relational levels, so that the awareness of lecturers can also be raised and course-specific individualization or flexibilization achieved.In the long term, the needs and results are to be consolidated and represented in student health management within the university structures and to anchor the curricular offerings on the topic of MHL in the form of a micro degree in the university curriculum.