The Prevention of Academic Failure and the Promotion of a Healthy Lifestyle and Well-being in Students of the Third Faculty od Medicine of Charles University during the Pandemic
Abstrakt
The findings of foreign and Czech studies on the impact of social isolation caused by coronavirus pandemic restrictions on lifestyle, wellbeing and mental health of university students relevant to our counselling experience open our contribution. The introduction of online teaching and counselling is reflected.
Most common problems of students presented before and during the pandemic and managed in the course of the counselling process are summarized. We describe our counselling strategies based on the principles of health promotion applied when supporting students healthy lifestyle (work-life balance, healthy sleep, eating, physical activity regimen); cognitive behavioural strategies applied in managing study and stress related problems like test anxiety, perfectionism, addictive substances abuse and quitting smoking or tobacco use; and Gestalt therapy strategies aimed at building up the counselling relationship and increasing the awareness of the client experience.
We also mention our educational activities (optional courses on stress management using cognitive behavioural and mindfulness strategies). Finally, the need of collaboration with the Study Division, the faculty contact person for students with special needs, the Centre for Treatment of Tobacco Dependence in the Královské Vinohrady Teaching Hospital and the Carolina Counselling Centre of Charles University is stressed.
The aim of communication and networking is to spread the information on counselling services among students, motivate them to use those services when needed and thus contribute to the prevention of academic failure and promotion of mental health and well-being in students.