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 mental health problems, yet direct comparisons of the prevalence of mental health problems between this population and control groups are 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.
Highlights
University research makes a substantial contribution to the economy (University Alliance, 2014)
One recent study did attempt to address this gap in the field (Levecque et al, 2017); employing an online survey, this study revealed that Doctoral Researchers (DRs) reported greater psychological distress than both undergraduate students and educated employees
We aimed to ascertain whether, compared to an educated working control group, DRs were at significantly greater risk for both common and serious mental health problems and whether any greater risk was explained by pre-existing differences in mental health problem proneness
Summary
University research makes a substantial contribution to the economy (University Alliance, 2014). A significant part of that contribution is driven by Doctoral Researchers (DRs), known as PhD students, who consistently produce a reliable financial return on any investment in their studies, both to their institution and to industry more widely (Casey, 2009; EPSRC, 2010; Zolas et al, 2015). When asked during their PhD studies, the majority of DRs want to pursue a career in research post-PhD (Cornell, 2020). The poor mental health of DRs and their subsequent exodus from academia will have implications for the volume and quality of academic research, as well as having broader social and economic impacts
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