Written by Haden Wikar
Mental illness has been a growing concern in recent years. While there are those who speculate that adequate mental health care is only relevant to a few, the reality is that there is an epidemic of mental illness across the globe. By 2030, “depression is set to outpace ischemic heart disease as the number one cause of disease burden worldwide”[1].
In 2019, shortly before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, 19.86% of adults experienced some kind of mental illness. This number is expected to increase following the pandemic. Additionally, the percentage of US adults who have a mental illness, but their need for treatment has gone unmet, has increased every year since 2011.[2]
Even with the global rise in diagnosed mental health illnesses, the mental health of PhD students is an oft-overlooked concern. Resources provided by institutions are often promoted to undergraduate populations, rather than all students. Graduate students have their own complex mental health worries, which have not been adequately addressed.
A study conducted in 2021 of PhD students in the UK found that over 40% met the classification for moderate-to-severe depression or anxiety. This study included students from many disciplines. However, students of “biological and medical sciences,” “chemical sciences,” and “physical sciences,” accounted for 19.9%, 3.0%, and 5.0% of respondents, respectively. Conversely, of the reference group of working professions, 32% met the criteria for depression, while 26% met the criteria for anxiety.[3]
These high levels of mental illness within the graduate student community can have significant impact on their experience and performance in graduate school. The same UK study revealed that when asked to respond to, “I have considered taking a break from my PhD studies because of my mental health” 42.0% of respondents answered true, while 32.3% answered false.[3]
There is not one reason to blame for the disparity in mental health between PhD students and working professionals. However, Katia Levecque, a psychology and law researcher at Ghent University in Belgium, says that this problem is “driven, in part, by the immense pressure on academic scientists to win funding, publish and land jobs in a brutally competitive market… The mindset in academia is very often one in which failure is not an option” [4]. In addition to the competitive, “publish or perish” mindset that many PhD students face, the desire to succeed in this environment is what can push students past their limits.
In addition to the stress that a competitive environment plays in increasing the prevalence of mental illness, a “2019 Nature survey of PhD researchers worldwide [found that] 21% of respondents said they had experienced harassment or discrimination in their programs”[4]. Female and ethnic minorities were more likely to report this behavior. A similar survey from Nature also found that of US researchers, sexual and gender minorities (LGBTQ+) were more likely to experience harassment and career obstacles.[4]
PhD programs of many disciplines foster environments in which students feel that their efforts are not being valued. Addressing this problem must tackle all aspects of it. Not only is there a need for additional resources for graduate students, but the culture within these programs must change.
[1] Tucci, V.; Moukaddam, N. We are the hollow men: The worldwide epidemic of mental illness, psychiatric and behavioral emergencies, and its impact on patients and providers. J. Emerg. Trauma Shock 2017, 10(1), 4-6. [2] The State of Mental Health in America, Mental Health America 2022. [3] Hazell, C.M.; Niven, J.E.; Chapman, L. et al. Nationwide assessment of the mental health of UK Doctoral Researchers. Humanit. Soc. Sci. Commun. 2021, 8, 305. [4] Forrester, N. Mental health of graduate students sorely overlooked. Nature 2021, 595, 135.
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