PhD survival skills groups (mental health and autism)

We run a social group for Postgraduate Research (PGR) students with a mental health or autism diagnosis who are already registered with the Service.

The groups are a safe, social space for PGR students share their experiences, thoughts and advice on PhD life with their peers. During meetings, the group discusses a pre-agreed topic that have been suggested by members, and you are able to choose your own level of participation, i.e., speak, type comments in the chat, or just listen in.  Previous topics have included:

  • PhD life hacks
  • Experiences with Supervisors.
  • Imposter Syndrome in PhD
  • Preparing for Annual Reviews
  • Motivation
  • Attending Conferences and Networking.  

They are not drop-in groups, this allows the group to build up social and friendship networks. Each group is facilitated by a member of our Specialist Mentor Team. 

The groups run every two weeks for one hour, and meets on Teams:

  • Mental Health PhD Group: 3.30pm on Wednesdays
  • Autism PhD Group: 1pm on Thursdays

If you are interested in joining a group, email disability.service@ed.ac.uk stating which group you would be interested in joining. 

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