Quality Assurance

Mental Health: Mental health support during pandemics

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the lives of most researchers in many ways. But while many aspects of daily life have become more challenging, it has also provided an opportunity to explore new ways to positively shape research culture. Together, the QUEST Center and community partners have developed guidelines to promote the mental health of early career researchers, aimed at PIs and supervisors as well as the early career researchers themselves.

Both guidelines were created as part of a virtual brainstorming event in February 2021. Around 50 early career researchers (ECRs), lab managers, mental health advocates, representatives of student services, graduate programs and other community partners of the Berlin research institutes came together online to discuss pandemic-related mental health challenges and look for solutions. The resulting guides provide practical resources and solutions for members of the academic community and will hopefully lead to a supportive research culture in these challenging times.

Guidelines for Early Career Researchers (ECR)
These scientists are especially vulnerable to mental health issues due to the pressures and insecurities of the academic system that are exacerbated by the pandemic.
Why are we sharing these resources now?
Although vaccines and new testing strategies are promising, the pandemic situation remains unpredictable. Returning to “normal” will be challenging. With or without Covid-19, our guides aim to foster kindness and de-stigmatize mental health issues.
Why focus on Mental Health, and not “Mental Wellbeing”?
We want to help to de-stigmatize the term “mental health”. The World Health Organization defines mental health as “a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and is able to make a contribution to his or her community”.
Who are we?
The virtual brainstorming event and these guides were organized by members of the QUEST Center with mental health specialists and partners from advocacy groups. All event attendees contributed to the development of these resources. For the full list of contributors follow the link.
Please contact us ecr-event@charite.de.
To download the full guide, including supplementary materials, please follow this link.

Guidelines for PIs
This guide is aimed at PIs and supervisors and may also be relevant for mentors. We believe that group leaders, while coping with pandemic-related stress themselves, play a key role in the challenging task of shaping mental health for their team. This guide provides suggestions for how PIs or supervisors can support ECRs in their team during the pandemic.
Why are we sharing these resources now?
Although vaccines and new testing strategies are promising, the pandemic situation remains unpredictable. Returning to “normal” will be challenging. With or without Covid-19, our guides aim to foster kindness and de-stigmatize mental health issues.
Why focus on Mental Health, and not “Mental Wellbeing”?
We want to help to de-stigmatize the term “mental health”. The World Health Organization defines mental health as “a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and is able to make a contribution to his or her community”.
Who are we?
The virtual brainstorming event and these guides were organized by members of the QUEST Center with mental health specialists and partners from advocacy groups. All event attendees contributed to the development of these resources. For the full list of contributors follow the link.
Please contact us at ecr-event@charite.de.
To download the full guide, including supplementary materials, please follow this link.

Disclaimer

All links to external webpages and/or resources within the guidelines are being provided for your convenience and for informational purposes; the BIH QUEST Center bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality or content of the external site or for that of subsequent links. Contact the external site for answers to questions regarding its content.