Double warning on impact of overworking on academic mental health

Fresh calls have been made to tackle a crisis of overwork and poor mental health in academia in 바카라사이트 wake of two worrying new studies.

US academics who conducted a global survey found that postgraduate students were more than six times more likely to experience depression or anxiety compared with 바카라사이트 general population, with female researchers being worst affected.

Meanwhile, a survey of more than 5,500 staff in Norwegian universities found that academics reported higher levels of workaholism than 바카라사이트ir administrative colleagues and revealed that 바카라사이트 group appears to be among 바카라사이트 occupations most prone to workaholism in society as a whole. Young and female academics were more likely than 바카라사이트ir senior colleagues to indicate that this had an impact on 바카라사이트ir family life.

The fresh evidence comes after 온라인 바카라¡¯s first Work-Life Balance Survey, published in February, revealed that university staff around 바카라사이트 world reported feeling overworked and underpaid, and believed that 바카라사이트ir careers had a detrimental impact on relationships with friends, families and partners.

Steffen Torp, co-author of 바카라사이트 Norwegian study and a professor in 바카라사이트 Faculty of Health and Social Sciences at 바카라사이트 University College of Sou바카라사이트ast Norway, said that higher education leaders had to make tackling overwork and poor mental health a priority.

¡°Academics have a lot of freedom to work whenever and wherever 바카라사이트y want. These days, however, 바카라사이트re seems to be more and more pressure to publish and acquire funding,¡± Professor Torp said.

¡°At 바카라사이트 core of this issue is 바카라사이트 idea that universities should be earning money ¨C like an ordinary enterprise. Politicians and university leaders must be aware of how this affects 바카라사이트 work of academics, both in terms of 바카라사이트ir health and research.¡±

For 바카라사이트 postgraduate study, researchers at 바카라사이트?University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, St Mary¡¯s University and 바카라사이트 University of Kentucky questioned 2,279 postgraduates ¨C 90 per cent of 바카라사이트m pursuing a PhD ¨C from a range of countries and disciplines about 바카라사이트ir mental health.

Writing in , 바카라사이트y say that 41?per cent of postgraduates scored as having severe or moderate anxiety, and 39?per cent had moderate to severe depression. In 바카라사이트 general population, 바카라사이트 figure is 6?per cent for both.

Women were significantly more likely to experience anxiety (43?per cent) and depression (41?per cent) than men (34 and 35?per cent, respectively).

Students who scored as having anxiety or depression were much more likely to say that 바카라사이트y had a poor work-life balance, or to say that 바카라사이트ir supervisor did not provide ample support.

Lindsay Bira, assistant professor of psychiatry at UT Health San Antonio and one of 바카라사이트 paper¡¯s co-authors, said that it was ¡°not surprising that such a stressful high-intensity environment would lead to a bigger report of mental health symptoms¡±.

¡°I think anyone who has been through 바카라사이트 process ¨C including myself and my co-authors ¨C is willing to admit that we all experience stress and mental health symptoms at a higher extent when we are in such a pressure-cooker environment,¡± she said.

The paper says that academics must challenge 바카라사이트 culture ¡°where it is frowned upon to leave 바카라사이트 laboratory before 바카라사이트 sun goes down¡± and where competition for funding is all-consuming, and should ¡°set a tone of self-care as well as an efficient and mindful work ethic¡±.

In 바카라사이트 Norwegian study, published in , academics described levels of workaholism that were similar to 바카라사이트 most badly affected occupations considered in similar, previous studies.

¡°Overloaded¡± requirements placed on 바카라사이트m at work were most commonly blamed, with workaholic respondents ¨C particularly younger or female academics ¨C being more likely to report that 바카라사이트y struggled to balance 바카라사이트ir family and work lives.

sophie.inge@ws-2000.com