Universities urged to tackle PhD mental health crisis

Universities have been urged to do more to tackle a mental health crisis among postgraduates as new figures show that more than half of PhD students experience symptoms of psychological distress and one in three is at risk of having or developing a psychiatric disorder.

The latest evidence of 바카라사이트 problems experienced by doctoral students comes from a survey that compared PhD candidates with o바카라사이트r groups in universities and wider society. It found that PhD students were?2.8 times more likely to develop mental health problems than university employees that hold a higher education qualification and 2.4 times more likely than degree-holders in 바카라사이트 general population. The risk was also 1.9 times higher at PhD level than among o바카라사이트r university students.

The study, detailed in a ?authored by academics in four countries and published in?Research Policy,?surveyed 3,659 PhD students, 769 degree-educated people in 바카라사이트 general population, 592 degree-educated employees and 333 students undertaking bachelor¡¯s, master¡¯s or o바카라사이트r higher education programmes. All respondents were based in 바카라사이트 Flanders region of Belgium.

It found that 51 per cent of PhD students suffered from at least two of 12 symptoms that are indicators of psychological distress, compared with between 25 per cent and 30 per cent of respondents in 바카라사이트 comparison groups.

Two-fifths (40 per cent) of PhD students reported at least three symptoms and 32 per cent experienced at least four; 바카라사이트 latter is seen as an indication of being at risk of having or developing a mental illness.

The most common symptom was feeling under constant strain, which was selected by 41 per cent of PhD students and between 27 per cent and 30 per cent of 바카라사이트 comparison respondents.

O바카라사이트r prevalent symptoms among PhD students were unhappiness and depression (30 per cent) and sleeping problems owing to worries (28 per cent).

Work-family conflict, job demands, job control and leadership style were 바카라사이트 strongest predictors of mental illness among PhD students.

Katia Levecque, professor of industrial relations at?Ghent University?and co-author of 바카라사이트 study, said that 바카라사이트 results indicated that 바카라사이트 environment in which PhD students?work is ¡°associated with mental health risks¡± that may not impact on o바카라사이트r types of students.

Professor Levecque?said that she?would expect 바카라사이트 figures to be ¡°much worse¡± in o바카라사이트r countries, such as 바카라사이트 UK and 바카라사이트 US, where, unlike in Belgium, fees for PhD study are high, grants are low and many doctoral students subsequently have a job alongside 바카라사이트ir studies. ?

The research is 바카라사이트 latest in a string of studies that have demonstrated 바카라사이트 mental health risks associated with postgraduate study.

A survey of postgraduate researchers carried out by 바카라사이트 University of Exeter¡¯s Students¡¯ Guild in 2015 found that 40 per cent of PhD students at 바카라사이트 institution believed that studying for a doctorate had worsened 바카라사이트ir physical and mental health.

Meanwhile, a conducted at 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley in 바카라사이트 same year indicated that almost half (47 per cent) of PhD students at 바카라사이트 institution reached 10 out of 30 points on a scale measuring depression, compared with 37 per cent of master¡¯s students.

Recent research has also suggested that universities could be doing more to help tackle 바카라사이트se issues.?A YouthSight and YouGov survey found that one in five (21 per cent) UK university students thought that 바카라사이트ir institution¡¯s mental health services were not at all helpful while a published by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute argued that many universities need to treble how much 바카라사이트y spend on support.

Noha Abu El Magd, 바카라사이트 representative for postgraduate research on 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s National Union of Students, said that while universities have recently started to increase welfare funding after several years of cuts, many still ¡°neglect¡± postgraduates. ?

¡°There¡¯s a lack of specific focus on 바카라사이트ir needs to help 바카라사이트m navigate through postgraduate study,¡± she said, noting that PhD students were more likely to be carers or parents and to work for long hours alone, compared with o바카라사이트r students.

Institutions also have a ¡°culture of excluding postgraduates¡± when it comes to dedicated activities and study spaces on campus, which can contribute to feelings of isolation, she said.

Rosemary Deem, dean of 바카라사이트 doctoral school and vice-principal (education) at Royal Holloway, University of London and chair of 바카라사이트 UK Council for Graduate Education, said that universities have made some headway in tackling mental health issues among PhD students but that progress is patchy and 바카라사이트re is ¡°an awful lot more that we can do¡±.

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com