Workshop 3.3 – Well-Being and Mental Health
Student Well-Being & Mental Health
EN
Christine Bartho, Psychological Psychotherapist at University Clinic for Psychotherapy at Christian Albrecht University in Kiel
ADHD in student counselling
Neurodiversity and ADHD are becoming increasingly significant in university settings. They can manifest as prolonged periods of study or even university dropouts—often occurring shortly before completion. Affected students frequently struggle with the high demands placed on self-management, as well as with concentration issues or emotional difficulties. But what exactly is ADHD, and is its prevalence truly on the rise? What challenges does this present for student counseling, and how can students be supported? This session aims to provide answers to these questions and encourage reflection.
Anne-Marie Desmet, Psychotherapist in Student Services, LUCA School of Arts, Gent
Tackling procrastination for better mental health
Addressing procrastination is essential for student well-being and academic success, reducing levels of anxiety, depression, burnout, and higher dropout rates. By implementing simple, strategic interventions, we can protect students effectively from burnout and psychological stress. Let’s focus on some small and simple interventions that help students build resilience.
Avoidance plays an enforcing role in all mental health issues. It erodes self-efficacy, and leads to psychological decline. Academic procrastination is a manifestation of avoidance, it is a precursor to anxiety and depression.
Students often present with depressive symptoms or loss of motivation, without recognizing the underlying pattern of procrastination.
Left unaddressed, this cycle fosters insecurity and strains relationships with faculty and peers. Students may erroneously doubt their chosen field of study or misattribute their struggles.
Seeing and addressing the link with their symptoms and procrastination through targeted psychoeducation offers both clarity and hope.
By illuminating these patterns, we can facilitate reintegration through simple, strategic interventions: we empower students to achieve successes, so that the y can rebuild trust in their own capabilities and re-establish vital connections with their academic community.
The outcomes are often transformative: students regain their confidence, restore their interpersonal relationships, and reclaim their academic journey.
In this presentation we dive into some simple strategies to reactivate students, bringing the problem back to what it is: a habit that can be changed.