It all started with a WhatsApp message

Door Het Geluid is a foundation run by students, for students, dedicated to improving students’ mental health. It has some 90 student ambassadors who run workshops for degree programmes, study associations and the INKOM Week. Together with the eight students on the national board, they also initiate campaigns and provide policy advice.

When Hilt first read about Door Het Geluid on Instagram, she was immediately drawn to the initiative. “Around four in ten people in the Netherlands struggle with anxiety or depressive feelings. I really believe change has to come from students themselves. That’s why Door Het Geluid appealed to me.” Hilt’s message to the founder kickstarted not only her personal involvement, but also the founding of the Maastricht chapter of Door Het Geluid. “With support from the national board, I was able to start a team of 11 student ambassadors in Maastricht,” she says proudly.

From the start, Hilt was in close contact with the university to organise funding and link up with existing initiatives. “We still coordinate on many things. For example, we share feedback on what we hear in workshops: what’s going on for students, what barriers they’re running into. And UM, in turn, tells us what they’re hearing from student psychologists. That way we can tailor our workshops.”

Prevention

Door Het Geluid mainly focuses on prevention. “We’re not social workers,” Hilt stresses, “but we do help students recognise warning signs in themselves and in others, and we try to make mental health something people can talk about. We also show that if you’re struggling, there are low-threshold places you can turn to for support: your study adviser, a student psychologist, Injebol.com, @ease, Mondrian … ”

Topics covered at Door Het Geluid include performance pressure, substance use, depression and suicidality,* Hilt says. “To stay up to date, we student ambassadors attend training days several times a year, supported by organisations like Mind Us, the Trimbos Institute and 113 Suicide Prevention.”

Pressure on students

Why is she so keen on improving students’ mental health? “I’m involved with student life myself, and I see a lot of my peers struggling with issues. It doesn’t have to lead straight to a diagnosis everyone goes through smaller and bigger experiences. At the same time, there’s often pressure for student life to be fun. But that’s not a given for everyone, and it sets a very high bar. That’s why I think we need to keep talking about these themes.”
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Training at 113

She doesn’t have to think long about her most memorable experience so far. “The training weekend, especially the session by 113 Suicide Prevention. We spoke openly about suicide and our own experiences around it. It was intense, but it also brought us closer together.” She even met Queen Máxima: Hilt was one of the ambassadors invited to tell the Queen about the work of Door Het Geluid.

“How are you?”

What advice does she have for fellow students who want to contribute to society? “Find something close to your heart. If you want to get involved in mental health, you can always apply to be a student ambassador at Door Het Geluid. And more generally: think about the people around you. Helping someone else makes you feel good too. Ask someone: how are you really doing? It’s such a simple way to be there for people.”

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‍*Thinking of suicide? You can contact 113 Suicide Prevention anonymously. People are there to listen and help 24/7. Call 113 or chat with the volunteers.

Text: Romy Veul