Stress and Mental Health in Graduate School: How Student Empowerment Creates Lasting Change

Abstract

This article describes an ongoing initiative of the Department of Chemistry (Chem. Dept.) at the University of Minnesota (UMN) to support the mental health of graduate students. With the increasing pressure on students to carry out novel research, publish articles, learn a broad range of skills, and look for career opportunities, the levels of stress, anxiety, and depression among graduate students are on the rise. For tackling these issues, the UMN Chem. Dept. has adopted an approach that heavily relies on the involvement of graduate students and student empowerment. This contribution describes the results of a collaboration between a student group (Community of Chemistry Graduate Students, CCGS), the director of graduate studies of the Chem. Dept., and mental health professionals at the UMN campus health service, to provide strategies for ensuring a welcoming and productive departmental climate. It describes the events that CCGS has hosted to help to improve the mental health of students, and raise awar...