The Slovak project Crazy? So what?, run by the organisation Integra, brings together young students and people who have experienced mental health problems. During one full day of teaching, students learn first hand what it is like to overcome a mental health crisis and how to get help . Integra's director Jana Hurova told us that the project helps break down the stigma about people struggling with mental health and gives young people a precious spark of hope.

What prompted you to start your project?

For many years, our organisation has been supporting people with mental health problems. As a result of being ill, they have lost their jobs, homes, friends, sometimes their families too. Their whole world has been turned upside down. We set up Slovakia’s first community mental health services almost 30 years ago. Its aim was to ensure that that these people, after being treated in a psychiatric hospital, could receive support and get back to the regular lives they had before they were ill. We supported the emergence of patient organisations in Slovakia and carried out a number of programmes to destigmatise mental illness. There are people with severe mental health problems in our care, especially schizophrenia, many of whom have already managed to integrate and find meaning in their lives.

With all of our activities being carried out in a non-traditional way from the very beginning, working in partnership with our clients to best identify their needs, we applied a similar approach to the Crazy? So what! programme. Many of our clients have found a sense of purpose by meeting young people and, by drawing on their personal experience, talking about what they lacked at their age and what later triggered their mental health problems.

We see a growing need to highlight the importance of mental health. Knowing how to manage a personal crisis is a great strength.

We started the Crazy? So what! programme in Slovakia back in 2005, together with partners from Germany and Czechia. However, it is only recently that we have managed to put the programme on a more stable footing and to expand it. We have trained as coaches, we train up new teams and we visit new schools.

How has your project been received? Did you have any feedback from the people you helped?  (Can you give an example if you have any)

It always makes a strong impression on young people when they are able to meet those who have overcome a mental health crisis and who they can ask about anything. It shows them that if they do have problems themselves, help is always available. The fact that it involves one full day of teaching, and that communication is on an equal basis, means that participants always come away with a positive impression.

People with personal experience of mental health problems can give young people the courage to do something about their own problems. In almost every class, there are students experiencing problems. Giving them a spark of hope is priceless. People with personal experience tell their own story as a way of feeling better themselves. They themselves decide how much to let the pupils into their lives. In this way, they feel that they are valuable and that people understand them.

We received many comments such as students saying they don't normally get the chance to meet people with mental health problems or that we should learn to accept such people and not condemn them for being different.

We also received feedback from people with personal experience of mental health problems who are involved in the programme. One person told us:

‘The programme gives me the courage to walk tall. I want to live at last! Talking to students is tough but rewarding. They are very open, and have hardly any fear of social contact. The most wonderful thing for me is that they show there is far more that unites us than divides us, that the image of “crazy people” is not true. It is great that I can help people to finally talk openly about mental health problems, so that no one has to be ashamed or to hide. ’

What drives us forward are young people. After each of these days, they talk about how important the Crazy? So what! programme is for them and that it should continue so that every young person in Slovakia can learn about how valuable their own mental health is.

Are you already planning new projects?

We would like there to be scope for all young people to receive this form of education so that we can further expand the programme to other regions of Slovakia. It has already been carried out in Germany (where it was first set up), Slovakia, Czechia and Austria. This year we also trained up the first teams in Ukraine.

In your opinion, how important is it to openly talk about one's mental health problems? What message are you sending with your project?

We want to spread the message that having mental health problems is not a source of shame. What is shameful, however, is not doing anything to promote our own health. Because there is no health without mental health.

The main idea behind the Crazy? So what! programme is to highlight in good time the importance of mental health, and, at the same time, to foster understanding of people with mental health problems.

We have found it is much better to prevent than to treat. And it is more effective too. We offer courage and motivation and are optimistic. Help is always available. Sometimes it is enough to have someone to talk to. Fighting for your dreams is never easy, but it is worth it.