This paper presents the Gender Equality Network in the European Research Area (GENERA) Network/Community of Practice, and its work on mental health issues in academia. GENERA’s vision is to support, coordinate and improve gender equality in physics through various working groups on gender, diversity and inclusivity topics. Mental health issues can be especially distressing in academia, owing to the constant expectations of high performance for both faculty and students. Along with depression and anxiety, GENERA also addresses other issues such as sexual assault and suicide. This paper outlines the need for creating awareness and lifting the stigma of mental health problems in academia by using the available resources at institutional levels, such as improving training and reconsidering the reward system to include successful mentoring and support for student well-being. Finally, GENERA proposes specific methodologies for improving the mental health of students and faculty. These approaches will be presented during an upcoming workshop series on the topic, which will welcome participants from Europe and around the world.

Topics
Students, Education, Outreach, Careers and professions, Diversity in science
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