Mental health

© panthermedia

When we have physical complaints, it is completely natural to seek help from doctors and have them treated. When it comes to mental health issues, we often find this much more difficult. We don't recognize the stressors in time or hope to be able to solve the problems on our own.

As students and employees at a university, you are subject to many stressors that can make everyday study and work life as well as your private life more difficult. The coronavirus pandemic and other macro-social stressors such as the wars in Ukraine, the Middle East and other regions, as well as the climate crisis, are or have been an additional burden and cause an after-effect. If you notice that you are developing or experiencing psychological distress, there are various ways to get help. You should make use of this help for yourself, but it is also important to keep an eye open for those around you, to be sensitive and to address any abnormalities in a way that respects boundaries .

Typical causes of mental stress at work are, for example

• excessive pressure

• Conflicts at work, bullying

• Underchallenge

• Self-doubt, gratification crises, anxiety

• Depressive symptoms (lack of drive, brooding, feelings of powerlessness)

• Inability to recover

• Addiction disorders of any kind

• Discrimination of any kind (ethnic, linguistic, gender-related, due to impairments, ableism, lookism ...)

• Sexually motivated violence and discrimination

• Uncertainty in dealing with mentally distressed fellow students or relatives

The topics mentioned are within the field of expertise of professional psychologists with therapy training. However, there are a number of low-threshold counseling services. 

Counseling services

TU Dresden and the Studierendenwerk offer various advice and support services. In addition, we would like to point out professional counseling services offered by third parties where help can be found free of charge, anonymously and at a low threshold.

Counseling centers at the TU Dresden

• For students on all aspects of studying: Central Student Information and Counseling Service
• Equal opportunities team of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and the faculty
• Psychological counseling at TU Dresden (for employees)(by appointment)
  Information on the understanding of counseling, flyer
• Counseling services of the TUD, e.g. conflict management, conflict pilots, mental health and much more.

Further services in Dresden

• Psychosocial counseling center of the Studentenwerk Dresden
  flyer
• Offers of the Psychosocial Service Dresden
• Overview page
  Crisis guide
• Therapist search of the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians of Saxony

Complaint management, anti-discrimination etc. at TU Dresden

• Anti-discrimination office of the TU Dresden
• Anti-Semitism Officer at TU Dresden
• Guidelines for dealing with harassment, discrimination and violence"
• Anonymous BKMS® whistleblowing system of the TUD

Emergency counseling

• Nightline - listening hotline by students for students.

• Dresden crisis hotline 0351-8041616

• nationwide:
  116 123
  Telephone counseling (Protestant) 0800/111 0 111
  Telephone counseling (Catholic) 0800/111 0 222
  Telephone counseling (Muslim) 030/44 35 09 821
  Telephone counseling (Russian-speaking) 030/44 03 08 454
• Number against grief (especially for parents and young people)
  116 111
  Телефонна консультація укою та російською мовами для дітей, підлітків, батьків та інших членів родини з понеділка по п'ятницю з 14:00 до 17:00. Анонімно та безкоштовно по всій Німеччині.
• jugendnotmail.de (mail and chat advice, also in Ukrainian)
  Онлайн-консультації для дітей та молоді
• Crisis chat (chat counseling for young adults up to the age of 25)
• Federal Conference for Educational Counseling
  www.bke-jugendberatung.de
• FIDEO from the discussion forum on depression

Further information material and brochures about mental health

• "I'm calling because I'm worried ..." -
  Use of counseling services by relatives and multipliers

• Advice on suicide risk

• Suicide prevention for young people

Please be aware of the topic of "mental health", be it with yourself, fellow students or colleagues. Deal with it "in good times" so that you are already prepared in crisis situations.