ÅAS supports students mental health – donates to the Ärligt talat chat service

This year, the Student Union Council has decided to donate money to the Ärligt talat chat service.

One of the objectives of the Student Union of Åbo Akademi University (ÅAS) is to promote and advocate for the well-being of students. Therefore, the Student Union Council has decided to donate 1500 € to Ärligt talat – a Finnish-Swedish support chat service that offers free, anonymous and professional counselling with a low threshold for young people and young adults. The initiative to choose Ärligt talat as the recipient of the donation came from the Council group Gemensamma Vasa (GV).

“As most people know, many young people need someone to talk to, while healthcare queues are getting longer and longer. That’s why it feels natural to support an service provider that makes it easier and faster to get the help you need. Supporting Ärligt talat is therefore also a way for us to promote students’ mental health and well-being, which is something we at the Student Union stand for and want to do to give all students in Swedish-speaking Finland a chance to get help more easily when they are struggling,” says Member of the Council Herman Björk (GV), who proposed the Ärligt talat chat service as a donation cause.

Ärligt talat offers low-threshold support every weekday

Ärligt talat is a Finnish-Swedish support chat service for young people aged 13 to 29. Through the chat, young people can anonymously, free of charge and easily get in touch with professional counsellors such as psychologists, sex counsellors and social workers. Ärligt talat chat offers low-threshold support for young people struggling with mental health issues, study stress, relationships, loneliness or life questions. The chat is open from Monday to Friday.

“It takes courage to talk about how you feel, so when you are ready to take that step, help should not be far away. We are very grateful for ÅAS’ donation, which helps us to continue offering anonymous and free counselling by professional counsellors. With us, you can chat directly with a psychologist, without a referral or appointment, regardless of where you are in the country. Students can turn to us in both crises and everyday life – remember that you don’t have to be alone with your thoughts,” says Anna Valkeakari, development coordinator for the Ärligt talat chat service.

ÅAS makes an annual donation to an organisation whose activities are in line with the Student Union’s values. The Student Union Council decides each year on the recipient of the donation. By choosing to support the Ärligt talat chat service this year, ÅAS wants to make a concrete contribution to promoting students’ mental health.