Mental Health and Well-being of Biomedical Researchers series
Webinars and small group discussions focused on various topics, bringing the entire research community together for important discussions.
On this page
About the series
The goal of this series is to have an open and honest dialogue focused on mental health and well-being to decrease stigma and explore new tools to support ourselves and others in the biomedical research community. The series is open to all trainees, fellows, and staff at NIH and elsewhere who wish to join this important conversation.
In addition, we host in-depth conversations about practical tools related to the topic at our Thriving Thursday drop-in groups (12:00 -1:00 pm ET) the week after each session. If you are interested in diving deeper into a particular topic, you can find more information and register in Upcoming OITE events.
Series components
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Burnout in Biomedical Researchers
Watch the recordingWednesday, March 27, 2024, 4:00 – 5:15 pm ET
Burnout, often experienced as exhaustion, detachment, and ineffectiveness, can have significant impacts on work, mental health, and overall well-being. This lecture and conversation will discuss risk factors that can lead to burnout especially in biomedical researchers, protective factors associated with prevention, and ways to manage symptoms of burnout.
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Healthy Rest as a Steppingstone to Productivity and Well-being
Watch the recordingWednesday, April 24, 2024, 4:00 – 5:15 pm ET
Healthy rest is key to effectiveness at work and overall mental and physical health. However, many researchers find it challenging to incorporate it as a regular practice. This lecture and conversation will define what constitutes healthy rest, explore its benefits, discuss impediments to practice healthy rest, and offer ways to intentionally include rest into one’s lifestyle.
Register for this session
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The Epidemic of Loneliness
Watch the recordingWednesday, May 22, 2024, 4:00 – 5:15 pm ET
Loneliness, often experienced as distress in response to discrepancies between desired and actual social relationships or lack thereof, is becoming a growing public concern. Research shows that loneliness is associated with negative mental and physical health outcomes across the lifespan. This lecture and conversation will explore risk factors including those that may be unique to the culture of the biomedical research community and ways to reduce loneliness at both the individual and community level.
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Supporting Each Other in Being Well
Register for this sessionWednesday, June 26, 2024, 4:00 – 5:15 pm ET
Fostering a community approach to supporting mental health and well-being helps everyone thrive. Often, there are questions as to how to respond to colleagues who may be facing mental health challenges and/or life stressors. The final webinar of the series will address the hard questions that often arise when supporting colleagues, such as “What if I say the wrong thing?”, “What are my professional boundaries?”, or “How do I support others while still getting my work done?"
Additional resources
You can find additional recorded seminars on the OITE YouTube channel.
Contact
Reach out to us at oite@nih.gov with questions.
