Disclaimer
This initiative is not a healthcare provider. The information provided on the website does not qualify as medical advice and does not substitute for speaking to medical professionals.
Mental Health Initiative
Literature shows a a high amount of academics are affected by/are experiencing mental health issues. Addressing mental health inside an institution may lead to increased productivity, better academic performances and well-being. We are aiming at educating on mental health topics important for academia and at creating a prevention-conscious and supportive culture at the Institute of Physics.
Mission statement
Our mission is:
Spreading knowledge and raising awareness on mental health topics among members of the IfPh, U Rostock.
Our means are:
- providing education through talks and workshops (facilitating the development of members counselling knowledge, skills and personal growth)
- establishing a dialogue between institutes members to share experiences and to fight stigma
- evidence - informed: annually literature review of student mental health including a survey -> feedback to the institutes leader and evaluating our means
Our events are inclusive and open for members of other institutes of all status groups. However, our main target group are students and PhD students of the Institute of Physics. We are happy to welcome work group leaders, PostDocs and and non-scientific staff of the IfPh to our events. Some workshops and talks may be advertised for single status groups to enhance dialogue or to address specific topics.
The Students Committee and the Graduate Research Training Group are supporting the initiative and strongly recommend participating. Our initiative is supported by work group leaders and the executive director(s) of the Institute of Physics.
About
We are meeting on a regular basis (bi-weekly). In this meetings, we discuss upcoming events, new event suggestions, networking&visibility and many more. If you'd like to contribute or support us, you're invited to join our meetings! We are very happy to include you, your ideas and comments.
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We are a self-organized group of students and PhD students working towards our goals since August 2020.
Current contact persons and speaker: Milena Gödecke (milena.goedecke) and Tim Völzer (tim.voelzer)
Active members: Jennifer Hartisch (PhD student), Markus Reinert (PhD student IOW), Andrea Steinfurth (PhD student), Paula Respondek (PhD student IEF), Anne-Marie Esche (BSc student), Milena Gödecke (PhD student), Benjamin Liewehr (PhD student), Anna Julia Poser (PhD student)
Supporters/Board:
Former active members: Ayla Kruse (PhD student), Wanda Witte
Founder: Anna Julia Poser (PhD student, former speaker 06/2020-02/2022)
Emergent and non-emergent contact information and services
If you are in crisis and need emergency help:
- Family Doctor ("Hausarzt")
- Emergency Room - you can always walk in!
- Telefonseelsorge: 0800 111 0 111 or 0800 111 0 222
- SeeleFon 0228-71002424
- Chatting anonymously: https://www.u25-deutschland.de/
Non-emergent contact information and services:
- Psychological counselling by Studierendenwerk Rostock-Wismar
- Searching for (psychotherapeutical) help: https://www.kvmv.de/service/arztsuche/
- Self-help groups in Rostock: https://www.selbsthilfe-rostock.de/selbsthilfegruppen/
Support & Cooperation
We are working together with URgesund, the Universitys Health Management. We are financially supported by URgesund and Techniker Krankenkasse for three years to continue our efforts on education on mental health topics. Further, we cooperate with the non-profit, registered organization Dragonfly Mental Health which aims at producing a sustainable mental health culture in higher education.
Resources to educate yourself further
Offers and services by the University or University-related institutions:
- The Health Management division of the University, URgesund, offers workshops and webinars in German language.
- The Graduates Academy supports and promotes early career researchers at the University of Rostock. They offer a high quality qualification programme (in English and German language). Additionally, they provide networking opportunities and workshops on project and time management.
- Studierendenwerk Rostock-Wismar offers workshops in German language.
- The Rostock International House (International affairs office of U Rostock, Welcome Center) invites to a Intercultural Training for international PhDs, Postdocs and Researchers on a regular basis.
- The General Counselling Service (Allgemeine Studienberatung) has open office hours if you encounter organization and learning difficulties.
Other offers and services:
Further literature
PhD Desiree Dickerson: Mental health and COVID, but also other related topics: https://desireedickerson.com/covid19-resources
Dr. Zoë J Ayres, analytical scientist & mental health advocate, provides free resources for awareness, incl. poster: https://www.zjayres.com/ and has published the book Managing Your Mental Health During Your PhD which is freely availabe for members of the University
Further websites and articles:
- A website of the University Konstanz highlights further resources on mental health issues
- The network PhD Balance
- Open Academics
- Voices of Academia discusses mental health and well-being in academia
- Importance of Mental Health on College Campuses
Literature to start with:
- https://cgsnet.org/graduate-student-mental-health-and-well-being-0
- 28.06.21, Mental health of graduate students sorely overlooked', Nature 595, 135-137 (2021)
Conferences and Workshops
- I, Scientist - The conference on gender, career paths and networking. See here for general information, and here for the 2020 edition.
- Mental health - INternationally Delivering Support (MINDS), a team of graduate students working in collaboration with Dragonfly Mental Health: Click here.
Linking Mental Health and Performance (Literature collection from Dragonfly Mental Health)
Productivity:
Improves productivity and lowers absenteeism (Kuroda & Yamamoto 2018, Hilton et al. 2010)
Improves employee retention (Kuroda & Yamamoto 2018, Burnout reference)
Decreases social isolation (Johnson 1991)
Quality of Work:
Decreases likelihood of errors and mistakes (Mazurek et al. 2018)
Improves task performance (Wright et al. 1993, Hysenbegasiet al. 2005 )
Improves creativity and organization (Alonso et al. 2020)
Event Archive and Past Achievements
2022:
- Workshop "Managing Upwards" by Dragonfly Mental Health for PhD students within the Doctoral Seminar of the Graduate Research Training Group
2021:
- Talk "Strategies for managing mental health and well-being in academia" by PhD Desiree Dickerson, within the Physics Colloquium
- Talk "Impostor Syndrom" by Dragonfly Mental Health within the Doctoral Seminar of the Graduate Research Training Group
- Workshop "Training in Active Listening" by Dragonfly Mental Health for students and PhD students
2020:
- Talks "Mental Health in Academia" by Dragonfly Mental Health, German and English, within the Physics Colloquium
We are happy to expand our current collection of links: Leave us a message to include more links, tips and other findings.
