In discussions during the Young People with Mental Issues in Logic workshop at which this Network was conceived, several early-career participants shared their experiences of burnout, referee trauma, being told to “just take a walk,” or being asked a question that began with “this is more of a comment” while they were not okay. Many had lacked mentors who could have advocated on their behalf, or who had completed the Module. In most instances no action was taken within their department, though a slide on wellbeing was later added. Such a lack of support has led people with mental issues, people adjacent to mental issues, and people who prove things constructively to leave positions early or to suffer silently so as not to risk their career’s longevity.
In response, the Network was founded to connect early-career members of the Target Group with mentors who can provide support in times of crisis, and also in times of “have you tried a resilience workshop” and “it is okay not to be okay, provided the proceedings are on time.”
In 2021 we moved away from defining our Target Group as “people with mental issues” and instead adopted the terminology “underrepresented or in minority within mathematics due to mental health, wellbeing, or neurotype,” since it became clear that many early-career mathematicians who fall into this broader category were likewise in need of support. Our terminology is meant to include anyone who has faced or may face negative bias due to a diagnosis, a suspected diagnosis, a vibe, a seminar that went on too long, or a named need that was not met. It is deliberately vague because mental health is a complex topic with many nuances. So is logic. So is the Board.
People with mental issues, while not a minority in the world, are indeed a minority in the subset of mathematicians the Board is prepared to retain. Neurodivergent logicians are not a minority in logic. This last fact is celebrated, inferred where useful, and not a basis for appeal.