Mental well-being during your PhD
Doing a PhD is an exciting journey, but can at times be challenging and/or stressful. At CAPHRI you are not doing a PhD alone, you are embedded in a larger academic community. On this webpage you will find practical advice to help you manage and improve your mental well-being as a PhD candidate.
In case you are experiencing any problems, minor or major, we think talking to someone about it is an important first step. There is no easy fix, and while there are resources at CAPHRI and Maastricht University available to PhD candidates, we realise it may be difficult to find out where to start. Therefore, we have assembled resources that focus on mental well-being. We hope that this may be helpful to you. If there is anything that you are missing, please feel free to reach out to us (see CAPHRI contact persons).
Need urgent care?
For life threatening situations or emergencies, call 112.
Support available to you if you need psychological help immediately:
- General Practitioner ('huisarts')
- GP Medical Post (after office hours)
- Suicidal thoughts
- Victim Support NL (slachtofferhulp)
- Domestic violence or abuse
- 113 Suicide Prevention
- Sexual Assault Center
- Police
Contact persons and resources
Stress management for PhDs: boost your resilience!
During a PhD, stress is somehow considered to be ‘part of the deal’. For many, a PhD is the first job after graduation. However, it is not just a ‘regular’ job. You are often a sort of jack-of-all trades: you are a researcher, a teacher, a trainer, a project manager, a quality controller. You have to keep all the balls in the air to reach the finish line. This can sometimes be stressful. In addition, it can also affect your well-being. A PhD journey takes time, patience and sustained effort: it's a marathon rather than a sprint. Angelique de Rijk, professor in Work and Health, gives you some advice on how to boost your resilience.