Mental Health
Every new phase in life comes with new opportunities, but also challenges. When you start your studies, you might have changed the city or environment in which you live. You are expected to work more independently than at school, and have more responsibility for your own personal development. Another such transition occurs when you pass to the level a Master's or PhD thesis. Tasks become more complex and outcomes less clear, demands for independence and self-management increase again significantly, one’s own career plans may be ambiguous.
Clearly these new phases hold a potential to grow, but they can also be intimidating or burdensome - sometimes in diffuse, barely perceptible ways. Becoming aware of such challenges, and communicating about them openly with peers, often mitigates them or can point out alternative forms of coping, and act supportively. But our department and the University of Cologne also offer a number of events and contact persons which can provide help. All these offers are free of cost and independent of the health insurance system.
Points of contact at the University of Cologne
- Team Obelix of the Student Association for Physics
- UoC Health Portal for Students
- Occupational Health Management for employees
- Psychosocial Counseling for Staff
- Pyschological Counseling for students, prospective students, and employees
- Psychological counselling for students by the Werk
- Social counseling for students by the Werk
- Career coaching for students by the Professional Center
- Unisport – Body & Mind
- Nightline Köln (+49-800-4703500): the listening and information telephone for students of all universities in Cologne (website only in German)
Other useful resources
- Contact your health insurance company
- Coordinating hotline to see a psychotherapist for a consultation-hour Terminservicestelle (TSS). The service center can be reached every day around the clock without area code at the number 11 6 11.
Past events
Workshop: Mental Health in Master/PhD studies - Challenges and coping strategies
06.05.2025, 15:00-17:30 Uhr in Hörsaal III des Physik-Departments
Lecture, Dicussion and Workshop: Mental health in times of crisis
24.01.2024
Workshop: Mental Health in Master/PhD studies - Challenges and coping strategies
25.10.2022, 15:30 Uhr in Hörsaal III des Physik-Departments und auf Zoom