Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - Faculty of Life Sciences

Mental health and crisis situations

The doctorate is a lengthy and challenging phase in academic life. In addition to the academic demands, personal and emotional stresses can arise that affect mental health. On this website you will find offers of support.

 

Urgent support

 

If you are in a crisis yourself, it is important to stay calm and not make any important decisions. Get in touch with someone else and seek professional support.

If you are supporting someone in a crisis, it is equally important to remain calm, provide as much support as possible and seek professional help.

 

The Berliner Krisendienst is available every day and offers support - either by telephone or in person at one of the organization's advice centers between 4 pm and midnight. It is not necessary to make an appointment, the service is free of charge and can be anonymous if preferred.

 

Krisenchat offers advice via WhatsApp or SMS chat - around the clock and also free of charge.

 

If you feel you cannot cope alone and need to be admitted to a clinic, you can go to the emergency center (Rettungsstelle) of the psychiatric clinic assigned to the district where you live at any time of day or night. If you suffer a crisis at a time when you are not near your home and you do not think you will make it there, please go to the emergency center of the nearest clinic.

 

In acute emergencies, it is also possible to call the emergency numbers of the police (110) or the emergency services (112). 

 

Further contact points for crisis situations can be found on the website of the Psychological Counseling Service of Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (website unfortunately only available in German).

 

Mental Health support services

 

As a doctoral candidate at the Faculty of Life Sciences, the following psychological counseling services are available to you:

 

The Berlin University Alliance offers workshops and additional support structures for PhD students within its Berlin Graduate Studies Support:

 

The ZEIT CAMPUS Mental Health Guide may also be helpful (unfortunately only available in German).