My World Is Not My Doctoral Program…Or Is It?: Female Students’ Perceptions of Well-Being

Abstract

As the number of women who earn doctoral degrees increases, research suggests that female doctoral students struggle with their well-being, including managing role conflict due to multiple roles, developing coping skills, and maintaining social support. The goal of the study is to illuminate different aspects of women’s well-being that can add increased understandings related to student stress levels, academic achievement, and personal life fulfillment. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight current doctoral students who study at a research-intensive university. Furthermore, metaphorical analysis was used to describe the women’s perceptions of well-being. The results indicate that female doctoral students perceive well-being as an individual and social process that is constantly evolving and unique to each woman. During this process, female doctoral students can develop realistic social, economic, and personal expectations associated with their studies in order to determine the best personal balance of the multiple roles they play. Implications for practice and future research are included.