Örebro Tjejjour organized its ninth annual chat marathon on International Women's Day, providing anonymous chat support for girls and young women throughout the day. According to SVT Örebro, volunteers were available from lunchtime until midnight for girls to talk anonymously about any topic they wished.
Coordinator Veronica Bäcklin reported that while the number of chats has decreased compared to last year, the pressure remains high. 'It's still high pressure,' Bäcklin said, adding, 'We see that there is a very great need to talk to someone.'
It's still high pressure
The most common topics discussed during the chat sessions were mental health issues, with questions about violence exposure and relationships also featuring prominently in conversations. Volunteer Emilia Holmgren Persson noted that some conversations last ten minutes while others can continue for hours.
All chats occur anonymously, and for some participants, this may be the first and only time they contact the organization. When asked about handling the emotional toll of these conversations, Persson explained, 'It depends, we are a large group and I experience that we are cohesive and that we always come out of each chat as a group.'
We see that there is a very great need to talk to someone
The event represents an ongoing effort by Örebro Tjejjour to provide accessible mental health support to young women in the community.
It depends, we are a large group and I experience that we are cohesive and that we always come out of each chat as a group