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Watch videos about mental health

Managing Upwards Workshop: Optimizing Student-Supervisor Communications to Support Wellbeing

October 31, 2021

Supervisors want their students to succeed. Unfortunately, many supervisors have been submerged in the overworking culture of academia which dismisses mental health and wellness as a priority. Fortunately, graduate students can take meaningful steps to care for their own mental health and wellness by “managing upward”.

In this workshop by Christiane Whitehouse, PhD (@ch_whitehouse) and Dragonfly Mental Health, we’ll cover: the importance of advisor-trainee relationships, common issues, setting expectations & boundaries, establishing reasonable timelines, optimizing time, mutual accountability, and when communication fails.

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Colourful background with a title "Mental health literacy talk with Wendy ingram, PhD, Executive director, Dragonfly Mental Health"

A Scientist’s Primer on Mental Health

October 13, 2021

There are many misconceptions about the psychiatric disease, what causes it, who is at risk, and how it manifests. In this talk, Dr. Wendy Ingram covers information about the prevalence of mental health illness in general and academic populations, an overview of signs and symptoms highlighting those seen in academic settings, and the science underlying the causes and treatments of mental illnesses.

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Organise Your Own Peer Network Workshop October 2020

September 29, 2021

Are you ready to improve mental health in your academic community? We would love to support you! Do you want to create a peer network but don’t know where to start?

During the virtual workshop, our panel will cover:
– What is a peer network?
– Why start a peer network? What will the mission be?
– How to find allies: Getting support from management and peers.
– Building the backbone: Design the structure, schedule meetings, and decide what activities you’ll do.
– Getting the word out: Plan communication and engagement in your community and/or beyond your institution.

Our experienced panel will discuss the challenges and successes in their efforts! DFMH Panel: Jelena Brasanac, MSc, Director of Operations; Olga Vedenskaya, MD, PhD, Lead of Organizational Team; Wendy Ingram, PhD, Executive Director; Teresa Mayer, MSc, Lead of Consulting Team; Roo Steinberg, PhD, Lead of Communication Team

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Improving Academic Mental Health Panel: Resources and Initiatives

September 29, 2021

The academic community is facing mental health challenges at an increasingly high level. This impacts many vulnerable populations, including women in STEM. On May 29th, 2020, the Association for Women in Science (AWIS) Bethesda Chapter organized a virtual panel of individuals from different career stages who are working to improve academic mental health.

Panellists were: Dr Nathan Vanderford, Assistant Professor of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, University of Kentucky; Dr Zoe Ayres, Mental health advocate, and research scientist, United Kingdom; and Dr Adriana Bankston, Mental health advocate and researcher, Dragonfly Mental Health. The panel was moderated by Dr Minal Mehta, a research scientist at AstraZeneca. The panelists highlighted unique perspectives and projects on this topic and discussed how stakeholders can come together to improve mental health in academia in order to create a more supportive, diverse and inclusive enterprise.

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Titleslide for the talk on Imposter Syndrome

About Imposter Syndrome

September 20, 2021

Imposter syndrome, or the feeling that you don’t truly belong, is very common among academics. In this talk, Olga Vvdenskaya, MD, PhD covers the definition of impostor syndrome and its prevalence in the academic population. She gives an overview of symptoms highlighting those seen in academic settings, and some tips on how to overcome impostor syndrome in your life.

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Mental Health during Isolation

September 20, 2021

Public talk on “Mental Health in Isolation” given by Olga Vvedenskaya, MD, PhD, Chief Organisational Officer of Dragonfly Mental Health on the 13th of October 2020. This talk covers how our body and mind function during this global disease outbreak and subsequent isolation. Olga pinpoints the main areas of daily life that are affected by the pandemic and provides suggestions, tips and tricks to gain a feeling of stability and sanity.

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title slide of the video: breaking the stigma ; mental health as an academic

Breaking The Stigma: Cultivating Mental Health as an Academic

September 20, 2021

Breaking The Stigma – A film by Dragonfly Mental Health features interviews with Professors and a Nobel Laureate from the Life Sciences speaking about their own lived experience with mental health struggles. Through real stories of successful and prominent faculty at the University of California Berkeley and Davis, we are breaking the stigma and busting the myth that mental health struggles preclude one from an academic career.

Starring: Prof. Richard Harland, Prof. Elva Diaz, Dr Elçin Ünal, Randy W. Schekman, PhD and Prof. Kathy Collins.
Editing: David Ingram

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