Initiative "Strong through the crisis" takes stock

A year ago, the Hamburg-based start-up Hello Better launched the initiative "Strong through the crisis" and offers an online help program. The results confirm what associations and doctors are warning about: the effects of the Corona pandemic on the psyche continue to increase.

For months, health insurers, doctors and associations have been warning of the mental health effects that the Corona pandemic will bring. They've been visible since the first lockdown in early 2020; today, one in two sick leaves is due to mental health issues. At the start of the pandemic, startup Hello Better launched an initiative called "Strong Through the Crisis" with insurance company Allianz as a partner. This includes a free online support program with informational articles, coping strategies for stress and strain, and an online course on reducing psychological complaints. A total of 5,000 participants have already signed up, but that number has tripled just from the fall of 2020 to now, according to Hello Better.

"The Corona crisis is taking a toll on all of us and has been for over 12 months," said Hanne Horvath, founder of Hello Better and a psychologist. The outreach program "is designed to offer anyone currently concerned about their mental health an easy, no-cost way to do something about their long-term well-being."

Hello Better was founded in 2015 as a spin-off from Leuphana University Lüneburg and now employs 70 people. Currently, the Hamburg-based start-up offers ten online trainings in the areas of depression, anxiety disorders, stress or chronic pain. Some health insurance companies already cover the costs of the programs. Currently, the start-up is going through the process to get into the directory of digital health apps so that its program can be prescribed via app.