OpenUp is open to all and always within 24 hours

"We went live in the first week of the lockdown. Looking back the timing was insane", Jochem says. Still, it is a coincidence that the online platform was launched during the pandemic. However, the university did decide to partner with OpenUp when the pandemic hit. The lockdowns were tough on students, but also on employees who were forced to work from home, regularly with the children also at the dinner table. "Young people were hit hard, of course, but the lockdowns were also severe for teachers and supporting staff. All education suddenly had to take place online and it was complicated to manage all those changes."

Accessible

The support at OpenUp is very accessible, yet he often experiences negative prejudices about going to a psychologist. For example, people often come in with an apology because they don't think their issue is important enough. "They think that by booking a session, you are admitting that you are not doing well. I think it's actually a sign that you are working on yourself. Also, you don't need to have any mental health issues. We can also brainstorm about questions related to purpose and meaning or a development issue."

Besides Erasmus University, some 300 organisations now collaborate with OpenUp. In sessions of 25 minutes, they offer a listening ear to all employees. The mission of OpenUp is 'mental health for all' and conversations can therefore be held in many different languages and are always anonymous. Common topics include dealing with stress or feelings of sadness. "Mental health is not about having symptoms," he emphasizes. "Suppose an employee's stress issues have decreased. Then you can also have a few more conversations to prevent someone from falling back into old patterns. That way, someone's quality of life can really improve."

A different approach

According to Jochem, traditional mental health (GGZ) has no room for this kind of low-profile support. You don't have to be in dire need to turn to OpenUp. "We try to encourage people to get in touch sooner. What we do is different from the traditional mental health services and at OpenUp you can always get help within 24 hours, so there are no waiting lists. We do not rely on coverage by health insurance and we don't do diagnoses and questionnaires. Preventive healthcare is becoming increasingly important, partly because research has shown that it saves costs in the long run." 

Prevention is therefore an important starting point at OpenUp. That’s why, in addition to video interviews, you can also attend various online workshops, mindfulness training, and self-help programs (for example, how to deal with stress). He will give the workshop 'Resilience in stressful times' on April 4, which will focus on the war in Ukraine and the effect on your mental well-being. "These workshops tend to be very practical. Many of our sessions have a link to what is going on in the world. We are now in the process of recruiting Ukrainian psychologists to also offer support to those who are most affected by the war."

Jochem finds his work very rewarding and sees that a call of just under half an hour can make a big difference. He even experienced that someone, who was on a waiting list for a psychologist, felt he no longer needed it after a few sessions. "I would say: schedule an appointment and go experience for yourself. Especially if you don't know exactly what needs to be done. I think it's good for everyone to pause once in a while and ask yourself: 'how am I doing right now?' We can just explore and reflect together. We're here and we wish everyone a warm welcome."