It's easy to say #mentalhealth is personal. That the individual must get more resilient. And it's true that we do have to put work in to figure out what works for us.

But there are many things universities can do to support. A 1/

#AcademicChatter #phdchat

Provide tailored mental health support. The stressors that undergrads experience compared to PhD students, compared to staff are different. Classes on how to "Survive exam stress", just aren't going to cut it for PhD researchers. 2/

Recognise that poor staff mental health ultimately impacts students as those staff teach students. Realise that by protecting one, you protect the other. So often it feels as though staff are forgotten. With high workloads, how can they prioritise their own wellbeing? 3/

Diversify. Feelings of impostor syndrome can be heavily compounded by lack of representation in faculty positions. Further, you are more likely to seek help from someone you feel can relate to the issues you are also experiencing. 4/

Build a community. The culture in academia so often competitive. Collaborative work, community work should also be celebrated. Creating a community where individuals who feel isolated can meet others might make all the difference 5/

Provide mentorship. Having a mentor (who isn't your PI) to help with decision making and talk through any concerns is important. So often the uncertainty of "what next" can lead to stress and anxiety. 6/

Promote work/life balance. With the pressure to work 24/7, it is on institutions to promote a healthy work/life balance. It has to be recognised that reaching burnout is not good for anyone. Only by being both physically and mentally healthy can we do our best work 7/

Reimburse quickly. Money worries can often lead to increased stress amongst PhD students (and staff). With conference fees often being huge sums, reimbursement must be swift. Alternatively the student should not pay out of pocket at all although this isn't always possible. 8/

This list is by no means definitive. I'd be interested in hearing what good initiatives universities *are* doing. It's with both little changes, as well bigger cultural changes that we can really make the difference. #MentalHealthMatters