- Student Life & Futures
- Student Support
- Mental Health
Mental Health
Mental health is a crucial aspect of overall well-being, and it is especially important for students to have access to adequate support. The pressures of academic life, combined with personal challenges and societal expectations, can take a toll on students' mental well-being. We understand the importance of mental health and providing proper support and resources to those, that might find themselves struggling.
Our Student Support Services team treat students' health and wellbeing as a high priority and offer psychological support and advice. They can also provide information on healthcare such as dental and medical within the city. The team also organise Wellbeing activities such as yoga, meditation and coaching.
In the case that you need immediate support, contact one of the following help lines, that are available non-stop:
+420 284 016 110
Crisis Intervention Centre of the Psychiatric Hospital Bohnice
Availability: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There is always an English-speaking doctor present in the clinic, but English-speaking service over the phone is not guaranteed.
+44 84 57 90 90 90
Samaritans
Availability: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Based in UK.
Free psychological counselling for PCU students
During academic year, PCU offers students psychological counselling free of charge. It is provided by Prague Integration, an independent multi-lingual counselling centre that offers holistic mental health support in 15+ languages.
The service is confidential and client communication is treated in absolute confidence. No personal information is ever disclosed to others without consent or unless required to do so by law.
Examples of commonly discussed issues are:
- academic and university life: exam stress, presentation anxiety, study skills, adjustment to university life, culture shock, time/stress management
- (mental) health issues - depression, anxiety, eating disorders, sleeping problems, drug/alcohol problems, dealing with chronic illness
- interpersonal or partnership difficulties
- other – grief, loneliness, low self-esteem, discrimination, traumatic experience
The free sessions are limited to 3 sessions per student (in-person or online), per semester. If more are needed, additional sessions can be offered based on capacity.
How to Sign up
To sign up for your sessions you will need to fill out Prague Integration's form and use the code #PCU2024. A staff member will be in touch within 24 hours to set up an appointment. At your first appointment you will need to confirm that you are a PCU student by showing your student card.
Please note that if you are unable to make your appointment you must cancel 48 hours in advance.
External Phone and Email Helplines
Help Centres
Crisis Intervention Centre of the Psychiatric Hospital Bohnice
A medical facility providing 24 hour services to patients with urgent psychiatric and psychological problems in a situation of mental crisis, without need to have an appointment. There are always doctors that speak English.
The service is covered by Czech public health insurance. If you have private health insurance, it depends on the contract conditions.
RIAPS Crisis Centre
RIAPS provides crisis intervention and psychological support. The centre's team consists of experienced crisis interventionists from the ranks of psychologists, psychiatrists and paramedical staff.
Do I need a Psychiatrist, Psychologist, Psychotherapist or Coach?
Here is a guide to finding the right specialist who can offer you the help and understanding that you need.
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a doctor with an MUDr. (M.D.) degree from a medical school. Therefore, they must have completed 5 years of practice and passed a certification exam in psychiatry. They may specialise in various subfields of psychiatry, such as child psychiatry or addiction treatment.
The psychiatrist makes the diagnosis, creates a treatment plan and can prescribe medication. Unlike a psychologist or psychotherapist, they do not treat the patient with words, so you would not go to them for therapy (unless they have psychotherapy training on top of their education). They may, however, recommend therapy as part of your treatment plan.
When to seek Psychiatric help?
Simply, any time your suffering is so great that you feel you cannot cope without medication. A Psychiatrist can help you with severe and chronic conditions such as depression and anxiety, sleep and mood disorders, eating disorders, addictions, loss of touch with reality, and more.
Psychologist
A Psychologist has completed a single-subject Master's degree, or a Doctoral degree. They may have a different focus or work specialisation, for example, as a School or Prison Psychologist.
A Psychologist offers psychological counselling and psychodiagnostics. In contrast to therapy, counselling is short-term, often only a one-off. On the basis of the examination, the Psychologist will recommend an appropriate course of care. For example, they may refer you for a specialist Psychiatric examination or a certain type of therapy. Often, they are also able to conduct the therapy themselves.
When to seek Psychological help?
You can never go wrong when seeing a Psychologist. They can help you with both minor and more serious problems. Simply put, a Psychologist treats with words, while a Psychiatrist treats with drugs. A Psychologist is able to recommend the ideal course of treatment and refer you to other specialists if necessary.
Psychotherapist
A Psychotherapist has completed several years of accredited psychotherapeutic training culminating in an examination. They may have a mixed educational background, often they are graduates in Psychology, Psychiatry or Social Work. You can also tell the expertise and professionalism of a Psychotherapist from their membership of a Psychotherapy Association. Psychotherapy treats patients with words, and is long-term.
When to seek Psychotherapy help?
The range of topics that a therapist can help you with is incredibly wide. You can go to them with any kind of psychological pain, sadness, milder forms of depression and anxiety, relationship problems, stress and burnout, traumas, low self-esteem, loss of motivation and the desire for self-knowledge and self-development. They will listen, ask questions that make you look at situations from different angles and help you re-evaluate a situation, formulate plans and help you find answers.
