– I wanted to be with my friends, but I couldn’t get out the door, says Ingeborg Andersen. In the 8th grade, the girl from Kristiansand developed severe social anxiety. During the 17 May celebrations that year, she had a panic attack. She just had to run out of the classroom which was filled with people. Then the problems escalated. – I was afraid of everything that caused me to be seen or heard. I didn’t dare look someone in the eye, describes the 20-year-old. To overcome her anxiety, she was given the task of walking around the city and looking people in the eye. – I had to do everything that I thought was most difficult, but it worked, says Ingeborg. Ingeborg Andersen believes that the digital tool can help young people who struggle with anxiety, as she herself did. Photo: Christoffer Gunvaldsen She is one of seven young people who share their story in what is the country’s first digital tool for young people struggling with anxiety. The online course is called E-Risk and is aimed at young people aged 12 to 18. They get help to challenge their anxiety by facing what they are anxious about. The coping course, which is free and available to everyone, also has tips for parents and teachers on how they can support anxious young people in a good way. Help for self-help Åshild Tellefsen Håland is a professor at the Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health (ABUP) at Sørlandet Hospital. She believes that a lack of competence leads to a lot of inappropriate arrangements at school, which makes the anxiety worse. – It is a big problem that children and young people are far too often getting away with things they are anxious about, says Håland. She has helped develop the tool and method Risk, of which E-Risk is a continuation. According to her, the digital course is unique of its kind in Norway. – The threshold for seeking help will be lower. You can use it as an aid to self-help and parents and teachers can face anxiety in a better way. Professor Åshild Tellefsen Håland says there is a great need for a tool that is easily accessible to anyone who needs knowledge about how to deal with anxiety and worry. Photo: Sørlandet hospital Relax taking the bus Ingeborg Andersen recognizes what Håland says about facilitation. She says that both parents and teachers were keen to make everything that was difficult for her easier: She was driven to school because the bus was too scary to take. In the classroom, she could walk out at any time if things got difficult. She didn’t have to present things to the class. – I didn’t have to do the things I found uncomfortable, says the 20-year-old, who got a new life after she took part in Risk in 2019. The method was developed at Sørlandet Hospital. The first groups started ten years ago and the experiences are good. Can make a difference A study published last summer shows that 86 per cent of those who took part got rid of their anxiety disorders. The seven young people who tell their stories in the digital Risk tool have all been part of Risk groups at ABUP. Ingeborg believes the tool can make a difference. – It can be used early in the process so that, for example, social anxiety does not develop. For my part, it started with school refusal and developed, she says. This week the digital mastery course was launched. The target group is children and young people aged 12–18 who struggle with anxiety and worry. Photo: Hans Erik Weiby / news Credible youth Sociologist and clinical coordinator Lene Holmen Berg has led several Risk groups in Kristiansand municipality and at ABUP. – Surveys show that around 20 per cent of children and young people struggle with anxiety which goes beyond the quality of life, so it is a big problem, says Berg. She believes the story of Ingeborg and the other young people is an important part of the digital mastery course. – They say many wise things that both young people, parents and teachers do not know. They are close in age, have experience and are trustworthy. Social worker lene Holmen Berg has extensive experience of working with young people with anxiety Photo: Private
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E-Risk is a new digital tool for young people who struggle with anxiety – news Sørlandet – Local news, TV and radio
