According to the Ärzteblatt (2015), teachers suffer more frequently than other occupational groups from mental and psychosomatic illnesses, which manifest themselves in symptoms such as exhaustion, fatigue, headaches and tension. In the new federal states in Germany, the sickness rate of teachers is particularly high. However, the health risks of teachers are not only relevant when they enter the profession but are already evident during their studies due to excessive demands and a lack of coping strategies (Scharschmidt, 2005), which in turn increases the likelihood of dropping out (Radisch et al., 2018).
The present study addresses this basic problem by surveying all students of teaching at the University of Greifswald every semester over the first three years of their studies on their health behavior, challenges in their studies, and dropout tendencies and reasons. This monitoring enables timely consideration and practical implementation with regard to the needs of students. In addition to the close exchange between students and lecturers, students are invited to a digitally anchored intervention, which is continuously evaluated via quantitative questionnaires, qualitative interviews and biophysiological markers. The digital intervention focuses on topics such as time and stress management, coping strategies, learning strategies, recognizing strengths and mindfulness training. In the long term, the tendency to drop out of studies, to suffer from burnout and, as a consequence, to leave the teaching profession at an early stage, is thus prevented. The results are to be continuously made available to the staff of the University of Greifswald, the Ministry and interested parties, e.g. from the education, health and political sectors.
Radisch, F., Driesner, I., Arndt, M., Güldener, T., Czapowski, J., Petry, M., & Seeber, A.-M. (2018). Abschlussbericht. Studienerfolg und -misserfolg im Lehramtsstudium. Abgerufen: www.regierung-mv.de/serviceassistent/_php/download.php
Schaarschmidt, U. (2005). Halbtagsjobber?: Psychische Gesundheit im Lehrerberuf- Analyse eines veränderungsbedürftigen Zustands. Weinheim und Basel: Beltz Verlag.
Scheuch, K., Haufe, E., & Seibt (2015). Lehrergesundheit. DeutschesÄrzteblatt, 112(20), 347-356. doi: 10.3238/arztebl.2015.0347, Abgerufen:
https://cdn.aerzteblatt.de/pdf/112/20/m347.pdf
Duration: 01/2021–12/2023
Funded by Ministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft und Kultur
Fellow employee: Jonne Lohilahti
Former employee: Dr. Armin Jentsch
PhD student: Leona Luetzenkirchen und Hjördis Heinzel
Student assistant: Catharina Ketzenberg
Cooperation partners:
Diana Seyfarth, Tobias Blank (Mental stark und emotional in Balance, Technische Universität Darmstadt)
Prof. Samuel Tomczyk (Junior Professur Digital Health and Prevention, Universität Greifswald)
Cosma Hoffmann (Universität Greifswald)
Prof. Hans Grabe (Director of the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at Greifswald University Medical Center)
Dr. Juliane Schlesier (Universität Oldenburg)
Dr. Henna Asikainen & Nina Katajavuori (University of Helsinki)
Gesunde Universität Greifswald
Tino Wulff
Anke Portugal
