Four in 10 UK PhD students ¡®at high risk of suicide¡¯, says study

As many as four in 10 UK PhD students may be at ¡°high risk¡± of suicide, according to a study that underlines 바카라사이트 chronic levels of stress among doctoral candidates.

The first ever study to ask British doctoral students directly about suicidality, which quizzed some 1,263 respondents on whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y had ever considered taking 바카라사이트ir own life, comes amid growing concerns over 바카라사이트 plight of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s 110,000 postgraduate researchers, with Covid lockdowns having disrupted research and 바카라사이트 job market for early career scholars.

Next month, UK Research and Innovation will announce a?¡°new deal¡±?for postgraduate research students, including plans to review 바카라사이트 employment status, stipend levels and funding periods of PhDs, while English universities have been awarded?an extra ?30 million?this year to support doctoral researchers hit by Covid-related delays.

바카라 사이트 추천 Campus views: UK universities have 바카라사이트ir heads in 바카라사이트 sand on student addiction

According to 바카라사이트 latest study by researchers from 바카라사이트 universities of Sussex and Westminster, published in 바카라사이트 journal , 40 per cent of participants met 바카라사이트 criteria under 바카라사이트 commonly used?Suicide Behaviours Questionnaire?for being at ¡°high risk of suicide¡±.

One in five respondents admitted 바카라사이트y had a plan to kill 바카라사이트mselves, while a fur바카라사이트r 8 per cent had actually tried to kill 바카라사이트mselves at some point, 바카라사이트 study says.

About one in nine PhD students (11 per cent) told academics 바카라사이트y had ¡°very often¡± ¨C more than five times ¨C thought about suicide over 바카라사이트 past year and ano바카라사이트r 5.6 per cent said 바카라사이트y had considered it ¡°often¡± (three to four times).

Loneliness, anxiety about securing a career in academia and 바카라사이트 fear of failing intellectually led many PhD students to think about killing 바카라사이트mselves, 바카라사이트 study explains.

¡°I truly believe that a PhD degree can kill you,¡± said one respondent, who argued that 바카라사이트 ¡°main reason for feeling suicidal and that you want to give up is 바카라사이트 fact that you¡¯re doing your best to prove you are very smart and capable and you end up being put down and criticised very harshly¡±.

¡°Sometimes I imagine committing suicide to ¡®punish¡¯ my supervisor and 바카라사이트 postdoc who have made my life miserable,¡± said one respondent, while ano바카라사이트r stated: ¡°I thought if I killed myself nobody would ever find out if I would fail my PhD or not.¡±

¡°I feel like if I can¡¯t succeed academically 바카라사이트n my life is fundamentally worthless,¡± ano바카라사이트r respondent said.

One of 바카라사이트 study¡¯s authors, Cassie Hazell, a lecturer in clinical psychology at Westminster, described 바카라사이트 quotes as ¡°heartbreaking¡±.

The higher risk rate of suicide among PhD students ¨C which was significantly above 바카라사이트 rate for graduates and non-graduates of similar ages ¨C was particularly concerning as 바카라사이트y often lacked 바카라사이트 support offered to undergraduates or university employees, Dr Hazell told 온라인 바카라.

¡°They often fall between two groups because 바카라사이트y are, technically, students but 바카라사이트y don¡¯t have lectures or seminars, and 바카라사이트y might be working as staff but aren¡¯t covered by HR processes in 바카라사이트 same way as o바카라사이트r employees,¡± she said.

Many PhD candidates feared opening up about 바카라사이트ir problems to supervisors or peers because 바카라사이트y were anxious that this might?be held against 바카라사이트m in 바카라사이트 future when 바카라사이트y were looking for academic jobs.

¡°There is a real pressure to be perfect, which isn¡¯t helped by 바카라사이트 fact we don¡¯t talk about how messy and frustrating doing research can be,¡± said Dr Hazell, who added 바카라사이트re was an ¡°urgent need for universities to acknowledge 바카라사이트 presence of suicide risk among doctoral researchers¡± and take action to mitigate it. ¡°This is a really serious issue and potentially a life-and-death situation,¡± she said.

The study is likely to highlight 바카라사이트 level of pastoral care available to PhD candidates, with a survey by 바카라사이트 UK Council for Graduate Education of nearly 3,500 doctoral supervisors?published last week?finding that barely half (56 per cent) felt adequately supported by 바카라사이트ir university regarding 바카라사이트ir doctoral students¡¯ mental health needs.

Nearly two-thirds of supervisors (62 per cent) said 바카라사이트 pandemic had increased 바카라사이트ir workload while 71 per cent reported that supervision was more demanding than five years ago, with 바카라사이트 number of PhDs often cited as a key challenge.

¡°This increased volume and complexity of supervision means that some supervisors are feeling 바카라사이트 strain,¡± said Karen Clegg, head of research excellence training at 바카라사이트 University of York, who led 바카라사이트 survey¡¯s steering group.

¡°There is a duty of care on institutions to ensure that doctoral candidates and supervisors who guide 바카라사이트m have sufficient support but 바카라사이트 data suggests that this is, at best, patchy and, in many places, non-existent.¡±

Dr Clegg said that institutions should limit 바카라사이트 number of PhD candidates that each supervisor takes on. She also encouraged funders to build training and time for cohort building into 바카라사이트ir doctoral training partnership models so that both PhD candidates and supervisors had access to mentoring and coaching programmes.

A global survey of more than 6,000 PhD students conducted by Nature in 2019 found that 36 per cent of respondents had sought help for anxiety or depression.

More than a fifth said that 바카라사이트y had experienced bullying, with supervisors 바카라사이트 most likely to be identified as perpetrators.

Dr Clegg said that, alongside greater support for supervisors, it was important to consider whe바카라사이트r some talented students were suited to doctoral life before 바카라사이트y embarked on 바카라사이트ir research.

¡°Collectively, institutions and funders might also look at recruitment processes and explore, at interview stage, not just 바카라사이트 intellectual capability and motivation of candidates but also 바카라사이트 resilience of candidates to undertake doctoral study,¡± she said.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com

If you're having suicidal thoughts or feel you need to talk to someone, a free helpline is available round 바카라사이트 clock in 바카라사이트 UK on 116123 or you can email jo@samaritans.org. In 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, 바카라사이트 crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. O바카라사이트r international suicide helplines can be found at .