Introducing plant biology graduate students to a culture of mental well‐being

Abstract

Currently, an estimated 20%–40% of graduate students have depression and anxiety. In addition, more than half report experiencing high chronic stress. Thus, organizations such as the Plant Science Research Network have highlighted the need to prioritize trainee well‐being. This has led to a search for strategies to introduce this cultural change into scientific training. However, for faculty who do not have experience with this topic area, there are few readily available resources from which to draw. In this paper, we describe how two graduate groups, one focused on plant biology and the other on genomics and genetics approached this challenge together by introducing a course on mental and emotional well‐being to their incoming first‐year graduate students. We describe the research on workplace mental and emotional well‐being and disability prevention which served as the basis for the course content. We review the course curriculum, student reflections about what they learned, and implications for future classes.

How do changes to policies, systems, and environments in universities affect mental health and wellbeing? A systematic mixed studies review

“…While this study included two intervention groups exposed to the same intervention, it did not include a control group. The remaining four studies found no significant changes (Damião Neto, et al, 2020;Dewa, et al, 2020;Gan, et al, 2022;Johnson, et al, 2019).…”

“…The 18 studies included one randomised controlled trial (RCT; Damião Neto, et al, 2020), five quasi-experimental (Ahmad, et al, 2017;Dyrbye, et al, 2017;Maynor, et al, 2022;Mc Sharry & Timmins, 2016;Poole, et al, 2018), three qualitative (Agnew, et al, 2019;Bosse, et al, 2021;McArthur, et al, 2021), and nine mixed-methods (Culver, et al, 2021;Dewa, et al, 2020;Gan, et al, 2022;Johnson, et al, 2019;Litchke, et al, 2020;Pilato, et al, 2022;Poole, et al, 2017;Wang & Du, 2020;Whiteside, et al, 2017).…”

“…Nine studies evaluated the integration of mental health-related knowledge and skills into existing semester-long curricula -including stress management training (n=4; Dewa, et al, 2020;Dyrbye, et al, 2017;MacArthur, et al, 2021;Wang & Du, 2020), mindfulness training (n=1; Damião Neto, et al, 2020), coaching and positive psychology programming Results from the eight studies comprising quantitative evidence varied. Three studies yielded positive findings: significant increases in psychological wellbeing (Mc Sharry & Timmins, 2016), life satisfaction (Wang & Du, 2020), and empowerment and subjective wellbeing (Whiteside, et al, 2017), and significant decreases in academic burnout and psychological distress (Wang & Du, 2020).…”

“…Where qualitative data were collected, students reported great benefit in shared experiences -such as learning that peers had similar experiences of struggling emotionally at university (Dewa, et al, 2020;MacArthur, et al, 2021). In one study, students were "reassured that they do not need to have all the answers and they learned from one another as they shared their experiences" (Dewa, et al, 2020, p. 5).…”

Investing in student wellbeing: A design-based educational research approach to develop a longitudinal proactive program to improve wellbeing of medical students

“…A recent study by Dewa et al -integrating a sevenlesson mental wellbeing course in the graduate plant biology program -showed behavioral changes with regard to positive wellbeing in their students as well. [47] Acquiring practical skills and making behavioral changes positively in uences wellbeing and may also stimulate an attitude of lifelong learning that is necessary for every medical professional. [29,48]…”