#3-19 - Special Episode for Mental Health Awareness Week 2022

It is currently Mental Health Awareness Week in the Max Planck Society, and we have prepared a very special episode for you!

In this episode, Bea and Srinath get together with the members of the Max Planck PhDnet Steering Group - the Deputy Spokesperson, Alina Fahrenwaldt, and the Human Section Representative, Danielle Pullan, - to talk about mental health.

They discuss the results of the PhDnet Survey, specifically its mental health section, and talk about the depression and anxiety scores among the MPS Doctoral Researchers. They highlight some of the factors that show the most correlation to the scores: workplace discrimination, working conditions, supervision, and conflicts at work.

Danielle talks about microaggressions and mental health and makes some suggestions about how to fight against microaggressions in the workplace. Alina emphasises the importance of good supervision and gives some advice on making the student-supervisor relationship work for you. They also discuss services that MPS employees get from the Employee and Manager Assistance Program and the new Safer Spaces initiative that is currently being launched in the MPS.

Whom to contact...

... for counseling, specifically related to mental health: EMAP (Employer and Management Assistance Program now by PME, not Fürstenberg anymore): https://www.mpg.de/16344036/counselling-and-mental-health
... in cases of scientific misconduct: Ombudsperson of your institute
... in cases of discrimination or micro aggression: Equal Opportunities Officer, Safer Spaces Agent (coming soon)
... for employment issues in general: Betriebsrat (works council), IMPRS/PhD Coordinator, Administration
... for legal advice: https://www.mpg.de/16344048/conflicts-and-non-scientific-misconduct (mail to: [email protected])
... for Doctoral Researcher's concerns in general: PhDnet Steering group (mail to: [email protected])
...for professional counseling (psychotherapist in your city) in Germany: Hotline 116 117 (for more information see: https://www.bptk.de/krisen-hotlines-und-zentraler-terminservice/); note that you can be reimbursed for private psychotherapy if you can give proof that you contacted a number of state psychotherapists who could not offer you a therapy spot.

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Check out the Offspring-Blog where we publish articles on a regular basis: https://www.phdnet.mpg.de/outreach/offspring-blog

Intro - Outro music composed by Srinath Ramkumar: https://twitter.com/srinathramkumar

Pre-Intro jingle composed by Gustavo Carrizo: https://www.instagram.com/carrizo.gus

See you soon!