Have you ever encountered a situation when a colleague or a friend was very stressed, very depressed or had other acute mental health troubles? I always felt unsure about whether to say anything to them and how to help. This is why I signed up for the “mental health first aid” course offered for PhD supervisors at GIUZ on 22 and 24 January 2025.

The most important thing we learnt is that trying to help is always better than doing nothing. Just like with first aid for corporal issues, first aid for mental health follows an acronym that is easy to memorize. You might remember learning GABI or ABC for when you walk up to an accident. For mental health, you follow ROGER:

R = React

You go talk to the person. You try to find out whether the person is in a mental health crisis. If yes, you stand by them.

O = Open communication

You ask the person about their situation and listen without prejudices and without judging them.

G = Give support and information

You offer understanding and give hope that this mental health crisis can be overcome. You offer supporting the person in their current situation or share information on where they could get help.

E = Encourage to get professional help

You encourage the person to get professional help. Maybe you can even take the first step together and make a call or reach out.

R = Reactivate resources

You support the person in reactivating their own network so that they do not remain alone in this situation. Maybe they have family, a colleague or a friend who could give further support?

I liked that the course offered ample opportunities to train ROGER with colleagues in a variety of role-play situations. Furthermore, I learnt a lot about recognising symptoms of burnout, depression, anxieties and other mental health issues. The handbook that we received for the course contains super-useful information I can go back to when needed. While there is still a lot to learn, I do now feel much more ready to react if I suspect that a colleague or friend might be struggling with a mental health issue or crisis.

Thanks to Isabelle Gärtner-Röer and Hanna Hilbrandt for organising this course for us!

Interested in becoming a “Mental Health First Aider”, too? Check out ENSA, a non-profit organisation that offers such courses for individuals or groups.

Karin Schwiter, Labour Geography