Mental Wellbeing Working Group

As a Department of Psychiatry, many of us spend much of our working lives thinking about mental illness and the impact that this can have on individuals, families and the wider community. Some of us are even actively involved with public engagement activities designed to raise awareness of the importance of mental health. But how much time do we spend thinking about our own mental wellbeing and that of our colleagues? Academia can be a pressure cooker at times – high workloads, uncertain contracts, intense competition and regular rejections have the potential to place people under considerable strain. We know from national surveys (such as this one conducted by the Wellcome Trust) that rates of stress and mental illness amongst academics are high.

Our departmental surveys suggest that our department is generally a very positive place to work; however we know that recent events such as the pandemic have had an impact on staff wellbeing.  In response, we have established a departmental Mental Wellbeing Working Group. The aim of this group is to promote a positive working environment and to encourage an open culture around mental health and wellbeing.

Working Group Members

Chloe Wigg (lead).        Arne Mould (co-lead)

 Isabelle Butcher

Statement of Intent

The aim of this working group is to identify what we can do to further cultivate a working environment that promotes mental wellbeing. We will be working to:

• Create an open and inclusive culture around mental health and wellbeing
• Identify and promote best practices for mental health and wellbeing
• Improve signposting to support for those who need it
• Further equip managers with the skills they need to effectively support the mental wellbeing of team members
• Share practical solutions for managing stress at work

Activities

• November 2024, Join Us for Coffee and Chat! ☕

  Our Mental Wellbeing Working Group’s first Coffee and Chat last month was a huge success!

  We’re excited to host another one THIS Friday, 11:00am – 1:30pm, in the Gelder Room. Drop by, even if you only have 5–10 minutes!

  This is a welcoming space to chat with colleagues about anything. We’ll also have an optional discussion prompt—last time, we asked:
  “How do you look after your mental health, and what counterproductive things do you do for your mental health?”

  This week, the question will focus on “connectedness” to fit this month’s theme.

• October 2024, Join the Mental Wellbeing Working Group for World Mental Health Day!
  

  World Mental Health Day is an annual event that aims to raise awareness of mental health issues worldwide. To mark World Mental Health Day, Psychiatry’s Mental Wellbeing Working Group invites you to a Coffee and Chat event next Thursday October 10th, from 2:30pm to 4:00pm in the Conference Room. This event is designed for you to recharge and connect. Grab a drink - we’ll provide biscuits - and have a friendly, informal chat with your colleagues. We’ll also have some activities available if you prefer, or you can take the time to catch up with others. Often, we ask “How are you?” as a formality, not expecting or giving an honest answer. This event is a chance to connect more meaningfully and, if you feel comfortable, to share how you’re really doing.

In June 2023, the Mental Wellbeing Working Group organised for the Oxford Belles to visit the Department to give a singing workshop and performance. In the Common Room, Lego and jigsaws have been available to work on, while the Mental Wellbeing group also planted a herb garden in the outdoor space. There will also be a departmental picnic and rounders game.

• In January 2023, we organised a “Menopause in the Workplace” themed month (in collaboration with the Family Friendly and Park Time Working Group).  This included raising awareness of the University’s new menopause guidance, setting up a department Teams channel to facilitate connections/support between those affected by the menopause, promoting menopause training, and holding an informal ‘coffee and chat session’.  More details of these activities can be found here (Internal only)

• In December 2022, as part of the Department’s ‘Positive Culture’ month, we installed a “Gratitude Tree” in the Department common room.  Members of the Department were encouraged to write on a star something/someone that they are grateful for and hang it on the tree.  In no time at all the tree was covered in positive stars (with a notable number mentioning the new coffee machine!)  We also covered one of the common room tables with a Christmas colouring tablecloth to encourage people to take a few moments out of their busy days to enjoy a spot of mindful colouring.  

• In October 2022, to mark Mental Health Awareness Day, we set up a ‘Friendship Table’ in the common room (inspired by the Friendship Bench model).  This table had a green tablecloth - the colour of World Mental Health Day - and people were encouraged to sit at this table if they were open to having a conversation with other staff members, particularly those whom they had not previously met.  We provided cake throughout the afternoon and hoped that this would provide an opportunity to bring people together across different labs, offices and departments, and to get to know one another whilst taking a break during the day.  We also asked people to post suggestions for the small things that we can do to look after our mental health into a box and wrote a blog summarising these tips (internal only)

• In June 2022 we invited Department members to a talk by Professor Dick Passingham called "How to cope with poor mental health". This was a fascinating personal reflection in which Dick talked about his personal experience of pursuing an academic research career in neuroscience while also coping with poor mental health.