{"id":98212,"date":"2019-04-29T17:13:48","date_gmt":"2019-04-29T15:13:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=98212"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:23:18","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:23:18","slug":"phds-now-have-their-own-psychologist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2019\/04\/29\/phds-now-have-their-own-psychologist\/","title":{"rendered":"PhD\u2019s now have their own psychologist"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cThey are kind of falling between the cracks,\u201d says brand-new PhD psychologist Iris Bergwerff-van der Giessen, referring to PhD’s. \u201cIn the workplace, they are not considered fully fledged employees, but at the same time, they are no longer students either. For that reason, they\u2019re in a somewhat weird position in the academic hierarchy. So far the university has not offered counselling specifically geared towards them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"

Iris Bergwerff-van der Giessen was appointed as PhD psychologist in April<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAysha Gasanova<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Bergwerff-van der Giessen has only been at Erasmus University for ten days. She is still meeting all the PhD students at the various faculties, but she is already certain of one thing: \u201cI\u2019m not going to be bored here!\u201d<\/p>\n

Which makes sense, considering how alarming the figures are. \u201cStudies have shown that 30 percent of PhD students are at increased risk of burnout or depression.\u201d Last July, PhD students sent a letter<\/a> to rector magnificus Rutger Engels, requesting psychological support. They told Engels that their workload was too heavy and that it was causing physical and mental health issues.<\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\t\n\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Lees meer<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t