Berlin – November 03, 2026 -- 84 percent of participants in the pilot phase of a new climate anxiety prevention program said it left them feeling strengthened, according to initial unpublished results from health insurer mkk - meine krankenkasse.

Insurer targets student mental health with multi-stage program

mkk developed the multi-stage program with the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (HAW Hamburg) and students. Its aims are to support young people in coping with climate anxiety, strengthen their mental health and open up new courses of action.

The program responds to survey findings that more than half of students in Germany report strong to extremely strong fear of climate change and related psychological strain.

Berlin event on November 11, 2026 will publish pilot results and modules

mkk will present the approach, the individual prevention modules and the pilot results publicly for the first time on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, at PalaisPopulaire in Berlin. Doors open at 16:00 and the program starts at 16:30. A livetream is available.

The event, titled "KOPFKLIMA - zwischen Klima, Psyche und Zukunft," opens with Andrea Galle of mkk and Prof. Dr. Walter Leal of HAW Hamburg. Johannes Wagner, a Bundestag member for Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, delivers the political address. Psychologist Lea Dohm of KLUG e. V. gives the keynote.

Manuel Voigt of IfG GmbH and Juliane Stolz of HAW Hamburg present the program and first pilot findings at 17:05. A panel at 17:25 brings together Dohm, Galle, student Virginia Persico, journalist and author Toralf Staud, and Stolz.

Organizers frame the issue as a question for universities, health care and employers

Discussion topics include the consequences for universities, the health care system and the future workforce if young people grow up fearing for their future, as well as what effective prevention at universities could look like.