On this page you can find links to service from the university to help you when you have been stressed out, are worried about study delay or want a professional to talk to. We will also share tips on taking care of your mental health, research on mental health and things our association has been doing to improve your mental health. You can also find information about the confidential contact persons that we have within Francken.

Ways to reach out to professionals within the university

• Many students encounter study- or phase of life problems during their studies. For example, they experience stress complaints, struggle with their identity or feel anxious or depressed. In such cases you can contact the psychologists of the Student Service Centre (SSC).
• During your studies, you may find that you could use some extra support in certain areas. You may feel that you could perhaps study more effectively than you do now. Or you may find it difficult to encourage yourself to study, have difficulty writing academic texts, or have panic strikes at the thought of impending exams. The trainers of the Student Service Centre (SSC) offer various courses, workshops and support in the field of study skills, personal development, stress management, self-discipline and study choice.
• Every student hopes, of course, to finish his or her studies flawlessly, but sometimes there are circumstances that make studying more difficult, or that can cause study delay. In that case, it will probably be a good idea to make an appointment with one of the student counsellors of the Student Service Centre (SSC). Whether it concerns personal circumstances, a functional impairment, or other study-related questions that you cannot or do not want to solve within your study programme, the student counsellor is happy to provide you with advice and inform you about the available (financial) arrangements and resources.
• Are you a (prospective) student dealing with extraordinary circumstances that may influence your study progress? The student counsellors, student psychologists and trainers of the SSC offer support in various ways.
• More information on student well-being and support at the University of Groningen can be found here!

Mental health at Francken

There are also Confidential contact persons in Francken. These are persons who have had a training on this position. They are available for members to talk about stress, problems within the association or personal struggles. These Confidential contact persons are a listening ear and are easy to approach. You can talk to them when you come across them or reach them at confidential.persons.francken@gmail.com. Note that all of them can read these emails, so if you would like to let only one of them know what is going on you can just send email and set a meeting to talk about things. The confidential contact persons are Csilla Tijssen, David Dijkman and Marcel Verkade and Giulia Mihaica, feel free to also just walk up to them if you see them in the room or at events.

Hi, I’m Csilla, a now fifth year Astronomy student. I started as confidential contact person last year, during my board year at Francken. I’m a pretty active person, I love doing sports (mostly climbing and running) and I’m also still quite active at Francken (I’m in 5 committees at the moment). Please don’t hesitate to contact me or just walk up to me, I’m always happy to try and help or just be a listening ear!

Hey, I am David. I am a 5th year student and have finished my Applied Physics Bachelor. I started as a confidential contact person last year during my board year. When I am not on campus, playing boardgames is one of my favourite pastimes and I also really enjoy playing guitar! I have been active at Francken all throughout my studies and you can often find me in the Francken room. Don't hesitate to reach out to me if there is anything on your mind or if you just want to say hello!

Hi, my name is Giulia and I’m in my third year of the Physics bachelor. I started being active in Francken in the second year and it quickly made me regret not joining committees even earlier. One of my favorite activities is hiking, but I can be easily satisfied even with a few hours in the park with my friends. I am excited to talk to you more and I hope we’ll meet in the Francken room or somewhere on campus!

Hello, my name is Marcel. I am studying Physics and am finishing up my last courses this year. In Francken I am active in several committees and outside of that I enjoy learning new skills and have fun. I think it is important to talk about yourself and your struggles and therefore I am happy to talk about whatever you feel like sharing.

Mental health care

• Information on mental health care in the Netherlands can be found here.
• How to get mental health care in the Netherlands can be found here.