Mental Well-being of PHDs

Mental health services available to PhD students

During the Covid-19 crisis, junior researchers and PhD students have suffered mental health consequences like many others.

For a large number of early career researchers in temporary positions, the Covid-19 outbreak has meant working without access to their usual research tools and materials and in isolation from communities at the research institutions. PAND and DM encourage PhD students from every university to be aware of the services available to them.

Covid-19 has created stressful and difficult conditions for many PhD students. In a recent survey by DM and PhD Association Network of Denmark (PAND), 73% of the PhD students answered that they had experienced symptoms related to stress during the time of the pandemic. 71% answered that the pandemic has had a negative impact on their work-life balance. For this reason, we at PAND and DM encourage PhD students and all research staff to make use of the mental health resources available to them at universities, if necessary.

Below you can find a list of services provided to PhD students. PAND and DM are also continuously organising activities focused on improving mental health for junior reseachers. If you are interested in knowing more or collaborating with us for an event – please contact PAND at pand@phddenmark.dk – or DM phd@dm.dk 

AAU

AAU offers all staff professional assistance through Dansk Krisekorps which provides psychological counseling services. All staff can contact Dansk Krisekorps between 9 am and 3 pm on workdays either by telephone (+45) 70 22 76 12 or by email info@danskkrisekorps.dk

AU

AU also works with Dansk Krisekorps to provide psychological counseling to all the university’s employees. It is possible to receive both anonymous counseling as well as consultations with a referral. For consultations with a referral, you must ask your immediate superior. As an employee, you can choose to involve a union representative in this phase. When the immediate superior has been informed of the issue and has authorized the funding of five hours of consultation, the manager will then contact Dansk Krisekorps.

CBS

If you are a PhD student employed at CBS, you have the option of receiving psychological counseling by the company Prescriba which has been the provider of psychological counseling for CBS staff for several years.

For more information, contact Prescriba 24 hours a day via e-mail: info@prescriba.com or by phone: (+45) 70 22 12 66.

DTU

DTU’s Student Counselling Service offers professional help to students at DTU free of charge. The Student Counselling Service provides both individual counseling and group sessions. The counseling is free, you can stay anonymous and all advisors are sworn to secrecy. Contact the Student Counselling Service at (+45) 70 26 75 00 on workdays from 9 to 12 or read more www.srg.dk/en.

ITU

At the ITU, all employees with a need for psychological counseling for work related issues are referred to Falck Health Care. Falck can be contacted at (+45) 70 10 11 02. You will be able to have a preliminary conversation with a counselor within 24 hours.

KU

Employees at the University of Copenhagen can receive free assistance from Dansk Krisekorps 24 hours a day all year round. Dansk Krisekorps will, depending on the nature of the inquiry, direct you to a relevant specialist such as a psychologist. Contact Dansk Krisekorps at telephone (+45) 70 70 72 57.

RUC

As a PhD student at RUC, you have access to services provided by Prescriba, who offer psychological counseling to all RUC employees.

For more information, contact Prescriba 24 hours a day via e-mail: info@prescriba.com or by phone:  +45 70 22 12 66.

SDU

At SDU, all employees with more than 15 hours of employment per week are entitled to free help from SDU’s staff psychologist, who offers psychological counseling and therapeutic conversations for employees at SDU and who is sworn to secrecy. If deemed necessary, you can be referred to an external psychologist. The conversations will be held on campus in Odense. If you work at another campus, it is possible to have your travel expenses refunded.