Scholar Minds – Mental health conference 2022
Our second online mental health conference on “Mental Health and Early Career Researchers” took place online on October 28th from 10AM – 4PM and was free of charge.
Highlights of the conference
A creative keynote lecture featuring diverse voices of academia with representatives from underrepresented groups
Workshops on power abuse in academia (Dragonfly), academic mindsets on trial (Scholar Minds), a roadmap of helping offers in Germany (TK), and stress management (Innerminder),
A panel discussion on “(How) are mentally healthy working conditions and scientific excellence compatible?” to set the stage for health-related changes in the academic system
Contributing initiatives
Scholar Minds 
is a group of PhD students from universities from and around Berlin. Through sharing resources, surveying the status quo, and organizing mental health events, we hope to promote awareness, destigmatize mental health struggles, and empower PhD students.
Techniker Krankenkasse
is a public health insurance company in Germany. With more than 11 million insured persons, it is currently the largest nationwide health insurance in Germany.
Science of Intelligence
is a research cluster funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) under the German Excellence strategy. It investigates the principles of intelligent behavior and its applications to intelligent technology.
Dragonfly Mental Health
is an academic-led nonprofit dedicated to cultivating excellent mental health among academics worldwide through research, community building, and the development and deployment of evidence-based programs and consulting. Since our inception, we have delivered 90+ programs to over 8000 academics in 11 countries and in 3 languages.
Mental Health Collective
The goal of the Mental Health Collective (established in February 2020) at the MPS is to cultivate and maintain a healthy environment for employees at all levels. Specifically, we aim to facilitate access to help when it is needed, start a discussion about mental health and destigmatize and clarify the mental health issues that occur in academic life.
Innerminder
At Innerminder, Luis Castillo, PhD in Molecular Neuroendocrinology of the Stress Response and certified MBSR as well as Mindfulness Meditation teacher, offers trainings for stress management and mental well-being using self-contemplation techniques.
