Nationwide assessment of the mental health of UK Doctoral Researchers

Abstract

Doctoral Researchers (DRs) are an important part of the academic community and, after graduating, make substantial social and economic contributions. Despite this importance, DR wellbeing has long been of concern. Recent studies have concluded that DRs may be particularly vulnerable to poor mental health problems, but direct comparisons of the prevalence of mental health problems between them and a control group is lacking. Here, by comparing DRs with educated working controls, we show that DRs report significantly greater anxiety and depression, and that this difference is not explained by a higher rate of pre-existing mental health problems. Moreover, most DRs perceive poor mental health as a ‘normal’ part of the PhD process. Thus, our findings suggest a hazardous impact of PhD study on mental health, with DRs being particularly at risk of developing common mental health problems. This provides an evidence-based mandate for universities and funders to reflect upon practices related to DR training and mental health. Our attention should now be directed towards understanding what factors may explain heightened anxiety and depression among DRs so as to inform preventative measures and interventions.

Understanding suicidality and reasons for living amongst Doctoral Researchers: A thematic analysis of qualitative U‐DOC survey data

“…Previous studies have established the high prevalence of mental health difficulties amongst DRs (Hazell et al, 2021;Levecque et al, 2017), with specific aspects of the PhD, such as the supervisory relationship, isolation, and boundless working hours, implicated as risk factors (Berry et al, 2020). The findings of the present study evidence that this high prevalence of poor mental health extends to suicidality, and suggests that the PhD can trigger this experience.…”

Rethinking the Ph.D. dissertation in botany: Widening the circle

“…Furthermore, we suggest that an art/science component of a dissertation might help to sustain and reinvigorate those pursuing a Ph.D. by encouraging students to take the time to find what is intrinsically worthwhile about their work and develop the tools to communicate the importance to others. Research has shown that doctoral students suffer from high rates of mental illness, such as anxiety and depression (Forrester, 2021; Levecque et al, 2017; Hazell, 2022), and these rates are higher for underrepresented and/or vulnerable groups: women, LGBTQIA+, people from low socioeconomic backgrounds, indigenous people, neurodiverse people, and those from diverse races and ethnicities (Forrester, 2021). Many of these problems are likely rooted in systemic issues: graduate students are generally underpaid and work long hours, and their academic futures are precarious and unclear.…”

Exploring the Future Social Identity of a PhD Student Dealing With Anxiety: A Psychotherapy Client Study

“…Laura had a referral for PhD-related anxiety. Anxiety, as well as depression, is an increasingly common issue for contemporary doctoral students, and several recent studies in different countries (e.g., Hazell et al, 2021;Levecque et al, 2017) have demonstrated that this population experiences clinical anxiety and depression at a rate significantly higher than that of the general educated population of a similar age. Despite increasing interest in this phenomenon, and its pertinence for the future of society and knowledge, the specific circumstances contributing to such mental health difficulties for this population remain unclear.…”