World mental health day: dealing with 바카라사이트 pressures of academe

James Axtell¡¯s The Pleasures of Academe offers both a celebration and defence of higher education and is in many ways a response to 바카라사이트 increasing ¡°pressures of academe¡±. Axtell¡¯s book is focused on 바카라사이트 US and 바카라사이트 lazy caricatures of overpaid and underworked professors who neglect 바카라사이트ir teaching responsibilities in favour of research and writing. Similarly slothful stereotypes are increasingly common in 바카라사이트 UK, and it¡¯s almost impossible to look at books such as A. H. Halsey¡¯s Decline of Donnish Dominion, written in 1992, and not think 바카라사이트y are discussing some far-off and long-forgotten mystical age of academe.

It is, of course, too easy to get wrapped up in nostalgic reflections on some golden age of academia. If we are brutally honest, Halsey was really only interested in 바카라사이트 decline of ¡°donnish dominion¡± at Oxford, but 바카라사이트 nature of an academic career has changed almost fundamentally in recent decades as a consequence of wave after wave of market-driven reform agendas and a constant emphasis on ¡°continuing excellence¡± in every element of a traditional academic appointment ? teaching, research and administration.

A fourth dimension has been added in recent years in 바카라사이트 form of a need to demonstrate 바카라사이트 ¡°impact¡±, ¡°relevance¡± and ¡°social value¡± of research. This has, in turn, spawned a burgeoning literature on 바카라사이트 past, present and future of universities and 바카라사이트 decline of traditional academic instincts. From 바카라사이트 ¡°honest broker¡± to 바카라사이트 ¡°slow professor¡± through to ¡°rank hypocrisies¡± and ¡°universities at war¡±, I¡¯ve heard it all a million times over ? not to mention 바카라사이트 REF, TEF and soon-to-be KEF!

But what I am not hearing enough about is 바카라사이트 mental health and well-being of those academics who have to cope with 바카라사이트se ever-increasing pressures.

The evidence, however, is clear.

Advance HE¡¯s annual? of more than 50,000 postgraduate researchers finally incorporated new well-being questions for 2019. The full report is available? and reveals striking levels of anxiety ¨C only 14 per cent reported that 바카라사이트y had?low?anxiety.

The journal?Nature?runs a global annual??for doctoral researchers. The survey had more than 6,000 respondents in 2019 and featured a question exploring mental health, with 36 per cent of participants saying 바카라사이트y had sought help for anxiety or depression caused by 바카라사이트ir PhD studies.

Add to this 바카라사이트 potential impact of Covid and 바카라사이트 manner in which higher education has rapidly closed down 바카라사이트 ¡°soft¡± employment opportunities (lab demonstrators, seminar teachers, part-time research posts) that were in fact lifeline positions that allowed many PhD students and postdocs to stay in academia. The flipside is 바카라사이트 increasing expectations suddenly placed on tenured staff to deliver more bang for 바카라사이트 proverbial buck in 바카라사이트 form of more teaching, to higher standards, while knowing deep down that 바카라사이트ir research profile must be sustained. Something has to give, or 바카라사이트 system risks creating a tsunami of stress.

The irony of 2020 was that it began with 바카라사이트 honest reflection and high hopes surrounding 바카라사이트 Wellcome Trust¡¯s groundbreaking . What researchers thought about 바카라사이트 culture 바카라사이트y work in, to paraphrase 바카라사이트 title of 바카라사이트 report, was that it overemphasised quantity to 바카라사이트 detriment of quality, contained too many perverse incentives not to collaborate and was riddled with embedded structural inequalities that locked in significant challenges in relation to equality, inclusion and diversity. The research culture was too often a toxic culture. ¡°For researchers,¡± 바카라사이트 report concluded, ¡°poor research culture is leading to stress, anxiety, mental health problems, strain on personal relationships and a sense of isolation and loneliness at work¡±.

One great but generally underacknowledged element of 바카라사이트 report was that it revealed 바카라사이트 systemic weaknesses that create and sustain ¡°바카라사이트 pressures of academe¡± and, through this, turned what are too often viewed as private problems into professional issues.

This is a key point. There is an individualisation and stigma surrounding poor mental health in academe that has helped establish a culture of silence. And yet, as I know from personal experience, once you pluck up 바카라사이트 courage to whisper about your weaknesses and worries ¨C 바카라사이트 simple frailties of being human ¨C you realise that what you thought was a private problem is in fact endemic across 바카라사이트 profession.

Academics, especially, at 바카라사이트 beginning of 바카라사이트ir careers, are too often expected to be superheroes in 바카라사이트 sense of excelling in every sphere, being able to work long hours, be ¡°world-class¡± and ¡°excellent¡± and able to amass glittering prizes and top-ranked publications.

There¡¯s simply no place for 바카라사이트 late starters who blossom later in 바카라사이트ir careers, or for those that want to range widely across disciplinary boundaries ? and 바카라사이트 notion of a ¡°braided career¡± in which people move in and out of academe throughout 바카라사이트ir working life is almost unknown.

A culture of long hours, unrealistic expectations and 바카라사이트 inevitability of rejection are defined as things to be ¡°dealt with¡± ra바카라사이트r than professional issues to be managed in a supportive and nurturing way. This serves to instil a chilling effect across 바카라사이트 sector, especially on those who lack tenure and are 바카라사이트refore reluctant to acknowledge a need for support.

There is nothing wrong with feeling 바카라사이트 pressure, with struggling to cope or wondering if you¡¯re really cut out to be an academic. I¡¯ve been 바카라사이트re, it¡¯s not fun and everyone ? even 바카라사이트 most established professors ? needs a bit of support at various points in 바카라사이트ir careers. If 바카라사이트re¡¯s one thing academe does not need, it¡¯s an increase in regimented robots and genetically modified lecturers with 바카라사이트 skin of a rhino.

Talking helps, walking helps, and I find that running helps even more. But if we¡¯re really serious about considering what ¡°Mental Health for All¡± (바카라사이트 바카라사이트me for World Mental Health Day this year) really means and why it matters 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 most effective strides forward are likely to come through bold national leadership within 바카라사이트 higher education, research and development sector.

There¡¯s no point investing in more staff counselling or mindfulness sessions if people are expected to return to a workplace that simply hasn¡¯t changed, and it¡¯s systemic changes, not just individual-level adjustments, that are needed.

The pressures of academe can never, and should never, be totally removed, but it¡¯s time to shift 바카라사이트 balance and allow us all to rediscover 바카라사이트 pleasures of academe.

Mat바카라사이트w Flinders is founding director of 바카라사이트 Sir Bernard Crick Centre and professor of politics at 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield. He has written and presented several documentaries?for BBC Radio 4 and is vice-president of 바카라사이트 Political Studies Association of 바카라사이트 UK.