New podcast on mental health in academia
Academia is more than a place of work. People choose to pursue careers in academia because they are passionate about science, eager to continue to push the boundaries of our understanding of the world, making a vital contribution to the advancement of society.
Researchers have an important role in today’s society. The whole category should be viewed with respect and consideration. Prestige or not, their contribution to society must be recognized and recognized.
Researchers are also overwhelmed by enormous pressure to perform, to compete, to sacrifice themselves. Now academia is Also a workplace. It should provide reasonable conditions for researchers to thrive and perform at their best. Because researchers are people. And people can break down under too much stress. It’s time to start talking about mental health and wellness in academia. And do something about it.
The ReMO podcast
ReMO is the Observatory of Mental Health Researchers, an ongoing COST action (CA19117) focused on well-being and mental health in universities. Among other things, ReMO has produced a new podcast, bringing together individual stories of courageous young researchers and their challenges from across academia.
The podcast consists of three episodes, each lasting approximately 20 to 25 minutes. The podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Anchor, and all major podcast platforms, including YouTube. All references below. Depending on the availability of funds, there may be other episodes in the future.
The narrative style is somewhere between a documentary and an interview. “This is a people podcast,” says host and producer Dr Federica Bressan. “I tried to highlight the uniqueness of each story, so that listeners can relate to and get something out of it,” Bressan continues. “I avoided portraying the guests as victims, indulging in the emotional side of their experience, and I am very happy that they are all naturally in tune with this approach. Tough women, with great insight and a willingness to bring about positive change to the system, which motivated sharing their stories in the first place. “
The episodes
1. In the first episode, we meet Carla, a post-doctoral student, mother of two and someone who had the courage to say “enough is enough” and leave a toxic situation, as well as her doctorate. She eventually went back there, finished her PhD, and decided that science was what she really wanted to do, but without the toxicity. Its story is one of courage, and proof that courage pays off.
Quotes and takeaways from Carla’s story:
– you are so immersed in this competitive environment that you think the toxicity is normal
– quitting smoking is not a weakness. It’s a movement of power
– there is a glorification of hard work
– I didn’t feel safe telling the truth. There was no one to turn to. No one felt safe talking.
2. In the second episode, we meet Dilara, a doctoral student who found herself disoriented and isolated while writing her master’s thesis. Eventually someone stepped forward and helped her through this difficult time. Now, while she is busy with the doctoral thesis, she makes a point of connecting with younger colleagues and always offering them support and a safe place to have their voices heard. What is inspiring about Dilara’s story is the strength of her spirit, her determination to help herself, to never give up, and to rarely blame others – even when she could.
Quotes and Takeaways from Dilara’s Story:
– I didn’t know where to start
– you have to know your inner and outer resources, or you can go crazy for them
– peer solidarity is important, because you can build a relationship that you cannot have with your superiors – because of the hierarchy.
3. In the third episode, we meet Camilla, a multidisciplinary globetrotter determined to become a university professor. Someone who has always seen higher education as the path to independence, a way out of his past. Blessed with a great capacity for insight, Camilla is someone who has truly learned what works for her as an academic – and what doesn’t. She’s critical of academia, but the insightful person that she is, she also knows what she’s bringing to the table. Camilla admits to having suffered from mental health issues most of her life and she was recently diagnosed with ADHD.
Quotes and takeaways from Camilla’s story:
– I don’t remember a time when I didn’t have mental health problems. It’s part of me, part of my life
– I was depressed, but I didn’t care. I kept pushing and pushing until you stop because you basically can’t function anymore
– it’s their problem if they can’t help you
– I thought I didn’t deserve to take a break
– admitting something like that makes you very vulnerable. Not everyone is comfortable being vulnerable
– you can overcome difficulties by sharing them with other people. You are special, but not that special
All the stories have shown that academia is a beautiful and difficult place, where challenges abound, where things rarely go as planned, and you don’t have to search much to find reasons to complain. A lot of things in academia need to be improved because people deserve better. But “what stands in the way becomes the way” as the saying goes, and this is the reality that we have to face in order to pass together to the other side. The other side is where we have redefined the values of academia starting from the notion that “researchers are people” and that people deserve favorable working conditions; a place where we’ve successfully made the transition from individual stories to systemic change that this podcast tries to contribute to.
– References to the ReMO podcast:
Introductory video (1:37 min): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Okm7F076u4c
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4GzekPPAmcujZClJgrjXYw
Anchor: https://anchor.fm/remocostaction/
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/it/podcast/remo-podcast/id1592455298
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF9AjIaOYWG51v0qgcq3HClLACso-LAjT
Direct download (mp3): http://federicabressan.com/media/podcasting.php
– References to ReMO:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ReMO_COST
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/remo-cost-action/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk2Bbj2eVm-AixJHOU_8jqQ
Website: http://remo-network.eu/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Researcher-Mental-Health-Observatory-COST-Action-103891998700876
– Federica Bressan’s references:
YouTube channel: http://youtube.com/c/wyfiwyg/
Podcast: http://technoculture-podcast.com
Website: http://federicabressan.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/federica-bressan-9126529a/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=10000829141607
Twitter: https://twitter.com/donnadifiume/
Search: http://research.federicabressan.com