Yellow September highlights loneliness among young people

The “Yellow September” campaign is focusing on loneliness and psychosocial health this year, with support available for children and young people as well as older people, ORF reports. The Boje outpatient clinic in Tulln offers help to children and adolescents in crisis situations.

Loneliness is more than being alone. Life circumstances can make relationships, participation or access to support more difficult, including stressful transitions such as changing schools, health problems or financial worries. Easily accessible support services are therefore important.

“Yellow September” aims to raise awareness of psychosocial health, make support services better known and reduce stigma. The campaign links World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10 with World Mental Health Day on October 10. Yellow is the colour of suicide prevention. This year’s motto is “Together we can do more.”

When loneliness becomes a burden

Loneliness is not necessarily harmful. After stressful periods, people may actively seek time alone to recover. But it can also cause significant emotional distress and physical effects.

“Loneliness is a feeling that can be accompanied by pain when the quality of my relationships does not match what I need for my psychosocial health,” Gabriele Gruber, a researcher at the Institute of Health Austria, told noe.ORF.at.

Young people can also be affected

Several institutions are taking part in the campaign and offering support and advice. At Boje in Tulln, staff say children and adolescents can also struggle with loneliness despite being surrounded by classmates and contacts at school.

“Especially with adolescents, one might think they are together with others every day at school and have contacts. But we often see that they withdraw and do not know what to do with their feelings,” said Johanna Hofkirchner, medical director at Boje Tulln.

Psychotherapy director Katharina Mares-Schrank said warning signs included a loss of communication, when it was no longer possible to reach young people even through small talk. This could show itself in teenagers no longer leaving their rooms, losing interest in leisure activities or no longer meeting friends.

A complete retreat into the internet and social media can also indicate loneliness. Group therapy can help by giving young people the opportunity to meet and exchange experiences with others in similar situations.

Support in a crisis

Reports of possible suicides can worsen the situation for people in crisis. Support and advice are available through services across Austria and in the federal states.

The nationwide telephone counselling service can be reached free of charge at any time on 142. Rat auf Draht also offers help to adolescents and young adults on 147.