The Latin words mens sana in corpore sano translate to “A healthy mind in a healthy body”. They are, in fact, a heavily abridged line from a famous poem by the Roman satirist Juvenal. And though it was originally written to admonish people to pray for a healthy mind in a healthy body instead of more vain or frivolous requests, the core message is more applicable today than ever before: There is nothing more important than mental and physical well-being.
As part of a recent mental health awareness campaign, Krones Health Management teamed up with the Robert Enke Foundation to present virtual reality sessions at the company’s Neutraubling site. In them, participating employees were given a glimpse into the thoughts and feelings of people living with depression.
Unfortunately, that is a privilege that not everyone has. Depression is among the most common and most underestimated illnesses in Germany. The numbers alone show as much:
- According to statistics, five out of 100 men suffer from depression, and that number is twice as high among women.
- Each year, around 5.3 million Germans between the ages of 18 and 79 will experience depression. A variety of studies have shown that as many as one in five to one in six people will fall into the grip of this illness at some point in their lives.
- In Germany, approximately 10,000 people die by suicide every year.
It doesn’t matter how successful a person appears to be. Depression can affect anyone – even famous sports stars like Robert Enke, who made eight international appearances as goalkeeper for the German national football (soccer) team. Enke developed depression in 2003 and ultimately took his own life in 2009. The German Football Association (DFB), the football club Hannover 96 and the German Football League (DFL) established a foundation in his memory, the Robert Enke Foundation, whose purpose includes raising awareness about depression.
Using VR to destigmatize depression
Prevention and promoting health and well-being are fundamental elements of Krones’ social responsibility towards its employees. Mental health is an essential component of the company’s efforts and one of the main campaign focal points of Krones Health Management in 2024.
To raise awareness about depression among employees, Krones Health Management teamed up with the Robert Enke Foundation at the end of March to present virtual reality sessions under the heading: “Impressions of Depression”. The goal of these sessions was to enable persons not living with depression to “see”, approximately, what it feels like to be depressed, under the guidance of mental health experts. After a brief introduction, participants donned a vest weighing 10 kilograms and a VR headset, thus slipping into the role of a person whose daily life is overshadowed by depression. They then had an opportunity to reflect on their experiences in a group setting.
“Our goal with the ‘Impressions of Depression’ event was not only to bring attention to the important topic of depression. We also wanted to really sensitize people at Krones and destigmatize the illness,” explains Florian Hirsch, Head of Health Management at Krones about the motivation for running this campaign. “Because the numbers show that there’s a fairly high probability that you or someone near you will battle with depression at some point.”
Krones donates 3,000 euros to the Robert Enke Foundation
