Photo: C. Fischer

The prevention and self-help project InCogito is aimed at adolescents with eating disorders and psychosocial problems. At the heart of the initiative by the Dresden non-profit organisation “jungagiert” (a portmanteau of the German words for young and dedicated) is an online blog where an editorial team writes about topics such as identity, puberty and growing up. Anyone seeking advice and support can simply get in touch by email or WhatsApp. The volunteer peer counsellors are mainly psychology students or young people with their own medical history who have received the necessary professional training. They process the incoming messages and refer the concerned persons mainly to online-based information or self-help services as well as to professional counselling centres.

Eating disorders are complex mental illnesses. In addition to affecting eating behaviour, they are also intricately linked to self-image and self-esteem. Alongside genetic and psychological factors, social influences also play a significant role: social norms and the corresponding pressure can increase the risk of eating disorders, especially in the age of social media and the omnipresent ideal images they convey. The digital self-help groups create a protected space for InCogito users with an affinity for the online world, where they can exchange ideas with peers or experts and support each other.

Since April 2023, a two-year grant from the Software AG Foundation (SAGST) has supported the continued development of the online service into an independent project module in order to meet the increased and growing need for counselling. A full-time psychologist now supervises the volunteers and coordinates the networking. Jana Weische, who is overseeing the initiative for SAGST, says: “InCogito offers an important digital complement when local help is lacking. It is crucial to establish such opportunities to help those affected and build bridges to therapeutic contact points – especially in times of crisis like we are currently experiencing.”