The past months our lives have changed dramatically. The way we work, study, engage with friends and family is totally different from six months ago.
Since March H4i has informed internationals as well as possible through a special Covid-19 newsletter and its Covid-19 webpages. The number of visits to our site doubled in this period. While restrictions are gradually being relaxed, many stay worried about the future: health, job or study.
Last year we reported on the mental challenges many internationals are facing. Today’s worries come on top of this. Hence the theme of this newsletter: Mental health.
Dealing with anxiety and stress
We are all afraid of things sometimes. Fear is part of life. After all, it has a useful, protective function too. Fear warns us of danger and focuses us in certain situations.
In these times of Corona, fear can intensify, especially in expats who may not have lived in the Netherlands for long. Sometimes, fear can last for longer periods of time and start to negatively impact your daily life.
It may even occur that the fear becomes so great, often leading to avoidance behaviour, that it becomes difficult to function in society. This is when we speak of an anxiety disorder.
There are several treatments available to tackle an anxiety disorder......article continues
From face-to-face to online treatment
Since the worldwide outbreak of COVID-19 many things in our day to day life have changed: most of us are working from home, we are no longer celebrating birthdays and weddings, we are taking precautions when we see our friends and family and our leisure time is spent less in public space.
If you are in therapy or are about to start treatment, another aspect has changed as well: you are no longer seeing your therapist in the office, but...…..article continues.
Expat psychologists for international students and professionals
Many internationals come to the Netherlands for a demanding study or a difficult job that offers a significant career move. This comes with a number of responsibilities and adjustments, as well as stress. Another country, another culture, different customs.
Many international students and professionals suffer psychological problems. The pressure to succeed is high. A psychologist who as an expat has faced similar problems can help.....article continues.
Program Mental health and well-being for internationals
In 2019 H4i conducted a survey on the mental wellbeing of internationals. First results show that more than 50% of internationals living in the Netherlands experience mental challenges, such as frequently feeling lonely, anxious or depressed.
Dialogues with internationals in Eindhoven, Utrecht and Amsterdam resulted in valuable suggestions on possible solutions.
These have found their way into a H4i program called Mental Health and Well-being for Internationals. This program focusses on both prevention and mental healthcare solutions. The program seeks to include …..article continues
NHG and H4i test English version of Thuisarts
Thuisarts.nl ('HomeDoctor') is a online service offered by the NHG (Dutch Association of General Practitioners) for people who are seeking information about health and disease.
Thuisarts helps the user to understand possible causes of their symptoms, what they can do about them and to decide whether it would be wise to call the GP. GPs use it in the doctor's office to inform patients about their condition and treatment.
Because most internationals lack sufficient command of the Dutch language, they cannot use Thuisarts. Therefor the NHG and H4i will start a pilot to demonstrate the benefits of an English version …….article continues
Rabobank sponsors H4i
Since the beginning of this year, Rabobank has been sponsoring H4i’s activities. Rabobank offers specific financial services to internationals. Rabobank is active throughout the entire healthcare chain and invests knowledge, network and investments into the transformation of healthcare in the Netherlands, in order to preserve the unique accessibility, quality and affordability.
Read more about Rabobank and why H4i has sponsors.
PEP International and Youth healthcare Amsterdam join H4i
PEP (practice first-line psychologists) has expert psychologists to assist international clients with almost all basic general and certain specialist mental healthcare complaints. The PEP International team is international and currently offers psychotherapy in 5 languages. PEP is located in the Leiden-Noordwijk region.
JGZ Amsterdam (Youth Healthcare) offers health care from the GGD (Public Health Service) in the city, through Parent-Child teams and various Youth Healthcare centres. JGZ Amsterdam is also responsible for Youth Healthcare in the Amstelland region, which includes the municipality of Amstelveen. With the knowledge and experience of the H4i network, JGZ Amsterdam aims to have Youth Healthcare even better meet the needs of the broad and diverse international population in the region.
H4i partner of the International Welcome Centre Utrecht Region
To help international newcomers or residents settle in, the International Welcome Centre Utrecht Region (IWCUR) offers information and guidance about living, working and studying in the Utrecht Region. IWCUR not only assists internationals with governmental formalities, but also provides information about life in the Netherlands in general, for instance on topics such as housing, education, and healthcare in Utrecht region.
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