mental health phd ideas

Research Topics & Ideas: Mental Health

100+ Mental Health Research Topic Ideas To Fast-Track Your Project

If you’re just starting out exploring mental health topics for your dissertation, thesis or research project, you’ve come to the right place. In this post, we’ll help kickstart your research topic ideation process by providing a hearty list of mental health-related research topics and ideas.

PS – This is just the start…

We know it’s exciting to run through a list of research topics, but please keep in mind that this list is just a starting point . To develop a suitable education-related research topic, you’ll need to identify a clear and convincing research gap , and a viable plan of action to fill that gap.

If this sounds foreign to you, check out our free research topic webinar that explores how to find and refine a high-quality research topic, from scratch. Alternatively, if you’d like hands-on help, consider our 1-on-1 coaching service .

Overview: Mental Health Topic Ideas

• Mood disorders
• Anxiety disorders
• Psychotic disorders
• Personality disorders
• Obsessive-compulsive disorders
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Neurodevelopmental disorders
• Eating disorders
• Substance-related disorders

Mood Disorders

Research in mood disorders can help understand their causes and improve treatment methods. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

• The impact of genetics on the susceptibility to depression
• Efficacy of antidepressants vs. cognitive behavioural therapy
• The role of gut microbiota in mood regulation
• Cultural variations in the experience and diagnosis of bipolar disorder
• Seasonal Affective Disorder: Environmental factors and treatment
• The link between depression and chronic illnesses
• Exercise as an adjunct treatment for mood disorders
• Hormonal changes and mood swings in postpartum women
• Stigma around mood disorders in the workplace
• Suicidal tendencies among patients with severe mood disorders

Anxiety Disorders

Research topics in this category can potentially explore the triggers, coping mechanisms, or treatment efficacy for anxiety disorders.

• The relationship between social media and anxiety
• Exposure therapy effectiveness in treating phobias
• Generalised Anxiety Disorder in children: Early signs and interventions
• The role of mindfulness in treating anxiety
• Genetics and heritability of anxiety disorders
• The link between anxiety disorders and heart disease
• Anxiety prevalence in LGBTQ+ communities
• Caffeine consumption and its impact on anxiety levels
• The economic cost of untreated anxiety disorders
• Virtual Reality as a treatment method for anxiety disorders

Psychotic Disorders

Within this space, your research topic could potentially aim to investigate the underlying factors and treatment possibilities for psychotic disorders.

• Early signs and interventions in adolescent psychosis
• Brain imaging techniques for diagnosing psychotic disorders
• The efficacy of antipsychotic medication
• The role of family history in psychotic disorders
• Misdiagnosis and delayed treatment of psychotic disorders
• Co-morbidity of psychotic and mood disorders
• The relationship between substance abuse and psychotic disorders
• Art therapy as a treatment for schizophrenia
• Public perception and stigma around psychotic disorders
• Hospital vs. community-based care for psychotic disorders

Personality Disorders

Research topics within in this area could delve into the identification, management, and social implications of personality disorders.

• Long-term outcomes of borderline personality disorder
• Antisocial personality disorder and criminal behaviour
• The role of early life experiences in developing personality disorders
• Narcissistic personality disorder in corporate leaders
• Gender differences in personality disorders
• Diagnosis challenges for Cluster A personality disorders
• Emotional intelligence and its role in treating personality disorders
• Psychotherapy methods for treating personality disorders
• Personality disorders in the elderly population
• Stigma and misconceptions about personality disorders

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders

Within this space, research topics could focus on the causes, symptoms, or treatment of disorders like OCD and hoarding.

• OCD and its relationship with anxiety disorders
• Cognitive mechanisms behind hoarding behaviour
• Deep Brain Stimulation as a treatment for severe OCD
• The impact of OCD on academic performance in students
• Role of family and social networks in treating OCD
• Alternative treatments for hoarding disorder
• Childhood onset OCD: Diagnosis and treatment
• OCD and religious obsessions
• The impact of OCD on family dynamics
• Body Dysmorphic Disorder: Causes and treatment

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Research topics in this area could explore the triggers, symptoms, and treatments for PTSD. Here are some thought starters to get you moving.

• PTSD in military veterans: Coping mechanisms and treatment
• Childhood trauma and adult onset PTSD
• Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) efficacy
• Role of emotional support animals in treating PTSD
• Gender differences in PTSD occurrence and treatment
• Effectiveness of group therapy for PTSD patients
• PTSD and substance abuse: A dual diagnosis
• First responders and rates of PTSD
• Domestic violence as a cause of PTSD
• The neurobiology of PTSD

Neurodevelopmental Disorders

This category of mental health aims to better understand disorders like Autism and ADHD and their impact on day-to-day life.

• Early diagnosis and interventions for Autism Spectrum Disorder
• ADHD medication and its impact on academic performance
• Parental coping strategies for children with neurodevelopmental disorders
• Autism and gender: Diagnosis disparities
• The role of diet in managing ADHD symptoms
• Neurodevelopmental disorders in the criminal justice system
• Genetic factors influencing Autism
• ADHD and its relationship with sleep disorders
• Educational adaptations for children with neurodevelopmental disorders
• Neurodevelopmental disorders and stigma in schools

Eating Disorders

Research topics within this space can explore the psychological, social, and biological aspects of eating disorders.

• The role of social media in promoting eating disorders
• Family dynamics and their impact on anorexia
• Biological basis of binge-eating disorder
• Treatment outcomes for bulimia nervosa
• Eating disorders in athletes
• Media portrayal of body image and its impact
• Eating disorders and gender: Are men underdiagnosed?
• Cultural variations in eating disorders
• The relationship between obesity and eating disorders
• Eating disorders in the LGBTQ+ community

Substance-Related Disorders

Research topics in this category can focus on addiction mechanisms, treatment options, and social implications.

• Efficacy of rehabilitation centres for alcohol addiction
• The role of genetics in substance abuse
• Substance abuse and its impact on family dynamics
• Prescription drug abuse among the elderly
• Legalisation of marijuana and its impact on substance abuse rates
• Alcoholism and its relationship with liver diseases
• Opioid crisis: Causes and solutions
• Substance abuse education in schools: Is it effective?
• Harm reduction strategies for drug abuse
• Co-occurring mental health disorders in substance abusers

Choosing A Research Topic

These research topic ideas we’ve covered here serve as thought starters to help you explore different areas within mental health. They are intentionally very broad and open-ended. By engaging with the currently literature in your field of interest, you’ll be able to narrow down your focus to a specific research gap .

It’s important to consider a variety of factors when choosing a topic for your dissertation or thesis . Think about the relevance of the topic, its feasibility , and the resources available to you, including time, data, and academic guidance. Also, consider your own interest and expertise in the subject, as this will sustain you through the research process.

Always consult with your academic advisor to ensure that your chosen topic aligns with academic requirements and offers a meaningful contribution to the field. If you need help choosing a topic, consider our private coaching service.

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Good morning everyone. This are very patent topics for research in neuroscience. Thank you for guidance

What if everything is important, original and intresting? as in Neuroscience. I find myself overwhelmd with tens of relveant areas and within each area many optional topics. I ask myself if importance (for example – able to treat people suffering) is more relevant than what intrest me, and on the other hand if what advance me further in my career should not also be a consideration?

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Mental Health, PhD

Bloomberg school of public health, phd program description.

The PhD program is designed to provide key knowledge and skill-based competencies in the field of public mental health. To gain the knowledge and skills, all PhD students will be expected to complete required coursework, including courses that meet the CEPH competency requirements and research ethics; successfully pass the departmental comprehensive exam; select and meet regularly with a Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC) as part of advancing to doctoral candidacy; present a public seminar on their dissertation proposal; successfully pass the departmental and school-wide Preliminary Oral Exams; complete a doctoral thesis followed by a formal school-wide Final Oral Defense; participate as a Teaching Assistant (TA); attend Grand Rounds in the Department of Psychiatry; and provide a formal public seminar on their own research.  Each of these components is described in more detail below. The Introduction to Online Learning course is taken before the start of the first term.

Department Organization

The PhD Program Director, Dr. Rashelle Musci ( [email protected] ), works with the Vice-Chair for Education, Dr. Judy Bass ( [email protected] ), to support new doctoral students, together with their advisers, to formulate their academic plans; oversee their completion of ethics training; assist with connections to faculty who may serve as advisers or sources for data or special guidance; provide guidance to students in their roles as teaching assistants; and act as a general resource for all departmental doctoral students. The Vice-Chair also leads the Department Committee on Academic Standards and sits on the School Wide Academic Standards Committee. Students can contact Drs. Musci or Bass directly if they have questions or concerns.

Within the department structure, there are several standing and ad-hoc committees that oversee faculty and student research, practice and education. For specific questions on committee mandate and make-up, please contact Dr. Bass or the Academic Program Administrator, Patty Scott, [email protected] .

Academic Training Programs

The Department of Mental Health houses multiple NIH-funded doctoral and postdoctoral institutional training programs:

Psychiatric Epidemiology Training (PET) Program

This interdisciplinary doctoral and postdoctoral program is affiliated with the Department of Epidemiology and with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the School of Medicine. The Program is co-directed by Dr. Peter Zandi ( [email protected] ) and Dr. Heather Volk ( [email protected] ). The goal of the program is to increase the epidemiologic expertise of psychiatrists and other mental health professionals and to increase the number of epidemiologists with the interest and capacity to study psychiatric disorders. Graduates are expected to undertake careers in research on the etiology, classification, distribution, course, and outcome of mental disorders and maladaptive behaviors. The Program is funded with a training grant from the National Institute of Mental Health.

Pre-doctoral trainees are required to take the four-term series in Epidemiologic Methods (340.751-340.754), as well as the four-term series in Biostatistics (140.621-624). In addition to the other departmental requirements for the doctoral degree, pre-doctoral trainees must also take four advanced courses in one of the domains of expertise they have selected to pursue: Genetic and Environmental Etiology of Mental Disorders, Mental Health Services and Outcomes, Mental Health and Aging, and Global Mental Health. Pre-doctoral trainees should consult with their adviser and the program director to select courses consistent with their training goals.

Postdoctoral fellows take some courses, depending on background and experience, and engage in original research under the supervision of a faculty member. They are expected to have mastery of the basic principles and methods of epidemiology and biostatistics. Thus, fellows are required to take 340.721 Epidemiologic Inference in Public Health, 330.603 Psychiatric Epidemiology, and some equivalent of 140.621 Statistical Methods in Public Health I and 140.622 Statistical Methods in Public Health II. They may be waived from these requirements by the program director if they can demonstrate equivalent prior coursework.

Drug Dependence Epidemiology Training (DDET) Program

This training program is co-led by Dr. Renee M. Johnson ( [email protected] ) and Dr. Brion Maher ( [email protected] ). The DDET program is designed to train scientists in the area of substance use and substance use disorders. Research training within the DDET Program focuses on: (1) genetic, biological, social, and environmental factors associated with substance use, (2) medical and social consequences of drug use, including HIV/AIDS and violence, (3) co-morbid mental health problems, and (4) substance use disorder treatment and services. The DDET program is funded by the NIH National Institute on Drug Abuse.

The program supports both pre-doctoral and postdoctoral trainees. Pre-doctoral trainees have a maximum of four years of support on the training grant. After completing required coursework, pre-doctoral trainees are expected to complete original research under the supervision of a faculty member affiliated with the DDET program. Postdoctoral trainees typically have two years of support on the training grant. They are required to engage in original research on a full-time basis, under the supervision of a DDET faculty member. Trainees’ research projects must be relevant to the field of substance use.

All trainees are required to attend a weekly seminar series focused on career development and substance use research. The DDET program supports trainees’ attendance at relevant academic meetings, including the Annual Meeting of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) each June. Training grant appointments are awarded annually and are renewable given adequate progress in the academic program, successful completion of program and departmental requirements, and approval of the training director.

Pre-doctoral trainees are required to take the required series in epidemiology and biostatistics, as well as The Epidemiology of Substance Use and Related Problems (330.602). In addition, they must take three advanced courses that enhance skills or content expertise in substance use and related problems: one in epidemiology (e.g., HIV/AIDS epidemiology), one in biostatistics, and one in social and behavioral science or health policy. The most appropriate biostatistics course will provide instruction on a method the trainee will use during the thesis research (e.g., survival analysis, longitudinal analysis methods). (Course requirements for trainees from other departments will be decided on a case-by-case basis.)

Postdoctoral trainees are expected to enter the program with mastery of the basic principles and methods of epidemiology and biostatistics. They are required to take The Epidemiology of Substance Use and Related Problems in their first year (330.602), as well as required ethics courses. Postdoctoral trainees are encouraged to take courses in scientific writing and grant writing.

Global Mental Health Training (GMH) Program

The Global Mental Health Training (GMH) Program is a training program to provide public health research training in the field of Global Mental Health. It is housed in the Department of Mental Health , in collaboration with the Departments of International Health and Epidemiology. The GMH Program is supported by a T32 research training grant award from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Dr. Judy Bass ( [email protected] ) is the training program director. 

As part of this training program, trainees will undertake a rigorous program of coursework in epidemiology, biostatistics, public mental health and global mental health, field-based research experiences, and integrative activities that will provide trainees with a solid foundation in the core proficiencies of global mental health while giving trainees the opportunity to pursue specialized training in one of three concentration areas that are recognized as high priority: (1) Prevention Research; (2) Intervention Research; or (3) Integration of Mental Health Services Research.

Pre-doctoral trainees are required to take the required series in epidemiology and biostatistics and department of mental health required courses. In addition, they must take three courses that will enhance skills and content expertise in global mental health: 330.620 Qualitative and Quantitative Methods for Mental Health and Psychosocial Research in Low Resource Settings, 224.694 Mental Health Intervention Programming in Low and Middle Income Countries, and 330.680 Promoting Mental Health and Preventing Mental Disorder in Low and Middle Income Countries.

The Mental Health Services and Systems (MHSS) Program

The Mental Health Services and Systems (MHSS) program is an NIMH-funded T32 training program run jointly by the Department of Mental Health and the Department of Health Policy and Management and also has a close affiliation with the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Drs. Elizabeth Stuart ( [email protected] ) and Ramin Mojtabai ( [email protected] ) are the training program co-directors.

The goal of the MHSS Program is to train scholars who will become leaders in mental health services and systems research. This program focuses on producing researchers who can address critical gaps in knowledge with a focus on: (1) how healthcare services, delivery settings, and financing systems affect the well-being of persons with mental illness; (2) how cutting-edge statistical and econometric methods can be used in intervention design, policies, and programs to improve care; and (3) how implementation science can be used to most effectively disseminate evidence-based advances into routine practice. The program strongly emphasizes the fundamental principles of research translation and dissemination throughout its curriculum.

Pre-doctoral trainees in the MHSS program are expected to take a set of core coursework in epidemiology and biostatistics, 5 core courses related to the core elements of mental health services and systems (330.662:  Public Mental Health, 330.664: Introduction to Mental Health Services, 140.664:  Causal Inference in Medicine and Public Health, 550.601: Implementation Research and Practice, and 306.665:  Research Ethics and Integrity), and to specialize in one of 3 tracks: (1) health services and economics; (2) statistics and methodology; or (3) implementation science applied to mental health. Trainees are also expected to participate in a biweekly training grant seminar every year of the program and take a year-long practicum course exposing them to real-world mental health service systems and settings. 

For more details see this webpage:   http://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/center-for-mental-health-and-addiction-policy-research/training-opportunities/

Epidemiology and Biostatistics of Aging

This program offers training in the methodology and conduct of significant clinical- and population-based research in older adults. This training grant, funded by the National Institute on Aging, has the specific mission to prepare epidemiologists and biostatisticians who will be both leaders and essential members of the multidisciplinary research needed to define models of healthy, productive aging and the prevention and interventions that will accomplish this goal. The Associate Director of this program is Dr. Michelle Carlson ( [email protected]) .

The EBA training grant has as its aims:

• Train pre- and post-doctoral fellows by providing a structured program consisting of: a) course work, b) seminars and working groups, c) practica, d) directed multidisciplinary collaborative experience through a training program research project, and e) directed research.
• Ensure hands-on participation in multidisciplinary research bringing trainees together with infrastructure, mentors, and resources, thus developing essential skills and experience for launching their research careers.
• Provide in-depth knowledge in established areas of concentration, including a) the epidemiology and course of late-life disability, b) the epidemiology of chronic diseases common to older persons, c) cognition, d) social epidemiology, e) the molecular, epidemiological and statistical genetics of aging, f) measurement and analysis of complex gerontological outcomes (e.g, frailty), and g) analysis of longitudinal and survival data.
• Expand the areas of emphasis to which trainees are exposed by developing new training opportunities in: a) clinical trials; b) causal inference; c) screening and prevention; and d) frailty and the integration of longitudinal physiologic investigation into epidemiology.
• Integrate epidemiology and biostatistics training to form a seamless, synthesized approach whose result is greater than the sum of its parts, to best prepare trainees to tackle aging-related research questions.

These aims are designed to provide the fields of geriatrics and gerontology with epidemiologists and biostatisticians who have an appreciation for and understanding of the public health and scientific issues in human aging, and who have the experience collaborating across disciplines that is essential to high-quality research on aging. More information can be found at: https://coah.jhu.edu/graduate-programs-and-postdoctoral-training/epidemiology-and-biostatistics-of-aging/ .

Aging and Dementia Training Program

This interdisciplinary pre- and post-doctoral training program is an interdisciplinary program, funded by the National Institute on Aging, affiliated with the Department of Neurology and the Department of Psychiatry at the School of Medicine, the Department of Mental Health at the School of Public Health and the Department of Psychology and Brain Sciences at the School of Arts and Sciences. The Department of Mental Health contact is Dr. Michelle Carlson ( [email protected] ). The goal of this training program is to train young investigators in age-related cognitive and neuropsychiatric disorders.

Program Requirements 

Course location and modality is found on the BSPH website .

Residence Requirements

All doctoral students must complete and register for four full-time terms of a regular academic year, in succession, starting with Term 1 registration in August-September of the academic year and continuing through Term 4 ending in May of that same academic year. Full-time registration entails a minimum of 16 credits of registration each term and a maximum of 22 credits per term.

Full-time residence means more than registration. It means active participation in department seminars and lectures, research work group meetings, and other socializing experiences within our academic community. As such, doctoral trainees are expected to be in attendance on campus for the full academic year except on official University holidays and vacation leave.

Course Requirements

Not all courses are required to be taken in the first year alone; students typically take 2 years to complete all course requirements. 

Students must obtain an A or B in all required courses. If a grade of C or below is received, the student will be required to repeat the course. An exception is given if a student receives a C (but not a D) in either of the first two terms of the required biostatistics series, but then receives a B or better in both of the final two terms of the series; then a student will not be required to retake the earlier biostatistics course. However, the student cannot have a cumulative GPA lower than 3.0 to remain in good academic standing. Any other exceptions to this grade requirement must be reviewed and approved by the departmental CAS and academic adviser.

Below are the required courses for the PhD; further Information can be found on the PhD in Mental Health webpage. 

BIOSTATISTICS

Must be completed to be eligible to sit for the departmental written comprehensive exams.

EPIDEMIOLOGY

Department of mental health courses.

For Department of Mental Health doctoral students, a research paper is required entailing one additional course credit.  PH.330.840 Special Studies and Research Mental Health  listing Dr. Eaton as the mentor.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS OUTSIDE THE DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH

The School requires that at least 18 credit units must be satisfactorily completed in formal courses outside the student's primary department. Among these 18 credit units, no fewer than three courses (totaling at least 9 credits) must be satisfactorily completed in two or more departments of the Bloomberg School of Public Health. The remaining outside credit units may be earned in any department or division of the University. This requirement is usually satisfied with the biostatistics and epidemiology courses required by the department.

Candidates who have completed a master’s program at the Bloomberg School of Public Health may apply 12 credits from that program toward this School requirement. Contact the Academic Office for further information.

SCHOOL-WIDE COURSES

Introduction to Online Learning  taken before the first year.

ETHICS TRAINING

PH.550.860 Academic & Research Ethics at BSPH  (0 credit - pass/fail)  required of all students in the first term of registration.

Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) connotes a broad range of career development topics that goes beyond the more narrowly focused “research ethics” and includes issues such as conflict of interest, authorship responsibilities, research misconduct, animal use and care, and human subjects research. RCR training requirements for JHPSH students are based on two circumstances: their degree program and their source of funding, which may overlap. 

• All PhD students are required to take one of two courses in Responsible Conduct of Research, detailed below one time, in any year, during their doctoral studies.
• All students, regardless of degree program, who receive funding from one of the federal grant mechanisms outlined in the NIH notice below, must take one of the two courses listed below to satisfy the 8 in-person hours of training in specific topic areas specified by NIH (e.g., conflict of interest, authorship, research misconduct, human and animal subject ethics, etc.).

The two courses that satisfy either requirement are:

• PH.550.600 Living Science Ethics - Responsible Conduct of Research  [1 credit, Evans]. Once per week, 1st term.
• PH.306.665 Research Ethics and integrity  [3 credits, Kass]. Twice per week, 3rd term.

Registration in either course is recorded on the student’s transcript and serves as documentation of completion of the requirement.

• If a non-PhD or postdoctoral student is unsure whether or not their source of funding requires in-person RCR training, they or the PI should contact the project officer for the award.
• Students who have conflicts that make it impossible for them to take either course can attend a similar course offered by Sharon Krag at Homewood during several intensive sessions (sequential full days or half days) that meet either on weekends in October or April, a week in June, or intersessions in January. Permission is required. Elizabeth Peterson ( [email protected] ) can provide details on dates and times.
• Students who may have taken the REWards course (Research Ethics Workshops About Responsibilities and Duties of Scientists) in the SOM can request that this serve as a replacement, as long as they can provide documentation of at least 8 in-person contact hours.
• Postdoctoral students are permitted to enroll in either course but BSPH does not require them to take RCR training. However, terms of their funding might require RCR training and it is their obligation to fulfill the requirement.
• The required Academic Ethics module is independent of the RCR training requirement. It is a standalone module that must be completed by all students at the Bloomberg School of Public Health. This module covers topics associated with maintaining academic integrity, including plagiarism, proper citations, and cheating.

PhD in Mental Health  

Department of Mental Health candidates for the degree Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) must fulfill all University and School requirements. These include, but are not limited to, a minimum of four consecutive academic terms at the School in full-time residency (some programs require 6 terms), continuous registration throughout their tenure as a PhD student, satisfactory completion of a Departmental Written Comprehensive Examination, satisfactory performance on a University Preliminary Oral Examination, readiness to undertake research, and preparation and successful defense of a thesis based upon independent research.

PhD Students are required to be registered full-time for a minimum of 16 credits per term and courses must be taken for letter grade or pass/fail. Courses taken for audit do not count toward the 16-credit registration minimum.

Students having already earned credit at BSPH from a master's program or as a Special Student Limited within the past three years for any of the required courses may be able to use them toward satisfaction of doctoral course requirements.

For a full list of program policies, please visit the PhD in Mental Health  page where students can find more information and links to our handbook.

Completion of Requirements

The University places a seven-year maximum limit upon the period of doctoral study. The Department of Mental Health students are expected to complete all requirements in an average of 4-5 years. 

Learning Outcomes

The PhD program is designed to provide key knowledge and skill-based competencies in the field of public mental health. Upon successful completion of the PhD in Mental Health, students will have mastered the following competencies:

• Evaluate the clinical presentations, incidence, prevalence, course and risk/protective factors for major mental and behavioral health disorders.
• Differentiate important known biological, psychological and social risk and protective factors for major mental and behavioral disorders and assess how to advance understanding of the causes of these disorders in populations.
• Evaluate and explain factors associated with resiliency and recovery from major mental and behavioral disorders.
• Evaluate, select, and implement effective methods and measurement strategies for assessment of major mental and behavioral disorders across a range of epidemiologic settings.
• Critically evaluate strategies for the prevention and treatment of major mental and behavioral disorders as well as utilization and delivery of mental health services over the life course, across a range of settings, and in a range of national contexts.
• Assess preventive and treatment interventions likely to prove effective in optimizing mental health of the population, reducing the incidence of mental and behavioral disorders, raising rates of recovery from disorders, and reducing risk of later disorder recurrence. 

According  to the requirements of the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), all BSPH degree students must be grounded in foundational public health knowledge. Please view the  list of specific CEPH requirements by degree type .

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Mental Health Dissertation Topics

Published by Carmen Troy at January 9th, 2023 , Revised On April 16, 2024

You probably found your way here looking for mental health topics for your final year research project. Look no further, we have drafted a list of issues, and their research aims to help you when you are brainstorming for dissertation or thesis topics on mental health.

PhD-qualified writers of our team have developed these topics, so you can trust to use these topics for drafting your dissertation.

You may also want to start your dissertation by requesting a brief research proposal or full dissertation service from our writers on any of these topics, which includes an introduction to the topic, research question , aim and objectives, literature review , and the proposed research methodology to be conducted. Let us know if you need any help in getting started.

Check our dissertation examples to understand how to structure your dissertation .

Also read: Psychology dissertation topics & nursing dissertation topics

Latest Mental Health Dissertation Topics for 2024

Review the step-by-step guide on how to write your dissertation here .

• Topic 1: Assessing the Influence of Parents’ Divorce or Separation on Adolescent Children regarding long-term psychological impact.
• Topic 2: Investigating the impact of Trauma and Health-related quality of life on a child’s Mental health and self-worth.

Topic 3: Assessing the effect of Psychological training on males suffering from Post-Surgery Anxiety in the UK.

• Topic 4: Investigating the Relationship between Mental Illness and Suicides- A case study of UK’s Young Adults.

Topic 5: Examining the behaviour of Mental Health Nurses taking care of Schizophrenia Patients in the UK.

Topic 1: an assessment of the influence of parents' divorce or separation on adolescent children in terms of long-term psychological impact..

Research Aim: This study aims to investigate the level of traumas experienced by the children of divorced or separated parents. The principal aim of this study is to explore the long-term psychological impacts of parents’ divorce on the life of children regardless of their gender and age in terms of mental wellbeing, academic performance, and self-worth.

Topic 2: An investigation of the impact of Trauma and Health-related quality of life on the Mental health and Self-worth of a child.

Research Aim: This study aims to assess the long-term impacts of the trauma children face in their early years of life on their overall mental health. Also, numerous studies have emphasized improving the quality of life for children who tend to experience multiple traumas and take them along in adulthood. Therefore, this study also proposed the impacts of traumatic childhood experiences on self-worth, mental health, and vitality of implementing firm intervention before the child reaches adulthood.

Research Aim: Postoperative problems may occur as a result of surgical stress. This study aims to examine different approaches to control post-surgical anxiety and improve patients’ lives in the short and long term, focusing on male patients in the UK. It will also give us an understanding of how psychological training and interventions affect anxiety in male patients and help them overcome this through a systematic review.

Topic 4: Investigating the Relationship between Mental illness and Suicides- A case study of UK's Young Adults.

Research Aim: This study aims to find the relationship between mental illness and suicides and risk factors in the UK. This study will specifically focus on young adults. It will examine different mental disorders and how they have led to suicide and will analyse further studies of people who had died by suicide and find evidence of the presence or absence of mental illness.

Research Aim: Negative behaviours and discrimination have been usually reported as a reason for the inconvenience in the treatment of mentally ill or schizophrenia patients, which negatively impacts the patient’s results. Health care professionals’ attitudes have been regarded as being more negative than the general public, which lowers the outlook for patients suffering from mental illness. This study will examine the behaviour of mental health nurses regarding schizophrenia patients in the UK and also focus on the characteristics associated with nurses’ attitudes.

COVID-19 Mental Health Research Topics

Topic1: impacts of the coronavirus on the mental health of various age groups.

Research Aim: This study will reveal the impacts of coronavirus on the mental health of various age groups

Topic 2: Mental health and psychological resilience during COVID-19

Research Aim: Social distancing has made people isolated and affected their mental health. This study will highlight various measures to overcome the stress and mental health of people during coronavirus.

Topic 3: The mental health of children and families during COVID-19

Research Aim: This study will address the challenging situations faced by children and families during lockdown due to COVID-19. It will also discuss various ways to overcome the fear of disease and stay positive.

Topic 4: Mental wellbeing of patients during the Coronavirus pandemic

Research Aim: This study will focus on the measures taken by the hospital management, government, and families to ensure patients’ mental well-being, especially COVID-19 patients.

Best Mental Health Topics for Your Dissertation in the Year 2023

Topic 1: kids and their relatives with cancer: psychological challenges.

Research Aim: In cancer diagnoses and therapies, children often don’t know what happens. Many have psychosocial problems, including rage, terror, depression, disturbing their sleep, inexpiable guilt, and panic. Therefore, this study is designed to identify and treat the child and its family members’ psychological issues.

Topic 2: Hematopoietic device reaction in ophthalmology patient’s radiation therapy

Research Aim: This research is based on the analysis of hematopoietic devices’ reactions to ophthalmology’s radiation.

Topic 3: Psychological effects of cyberbullying Vs. physical bullying: A counter study

Research Aim: This research will focus on the effects of cyberbullying and physical bullying and their consequences on the victim’s mental health. The most significant part is the counter effects on our society’s environment and human behaviour, particularly youth.

Topic 4: Whether or not predictive processing is a theory of perceptual consciousness?

Research Aim: This research aims to identify: whether or not predictive processing is a theory of perceptual consciousness?

Topic 5: Importance of communication in a relationship

Research Aim: This research aims to address the importance of communication in relationships and the communication gap consequences.

Topic 6: Eating and personality disorders

Research Aim: This research aims to focus on eating and personality disorders

Topic 7: Analysis of teaching, assessment, and evaluation of students and learning differences

Research Aim: This research aims to analyse teaching methods, assessment, and evaluation systems of students and their learning differences

Topic 8: Social and psychological effects of virtual networks

Research Aim: This research aims to study the social and psychological effects of virtual networks

Topic 9: The role of media in provoking aggression

Research Aim: This research aims to address the role of media and in provoking aggression among people

Best Mental Health Topics for Your Dissertation in the Year 2022

Topic 1: what is the impact of social media platforms on the mental wellbeing of adults.

Research Aim: the current study aims to investigate the impact social media platforms tend to have on adults’ mental well-being with a particular focus on the United Kingdom. While many studies have been carried out to gauge the impact of social media platforms on teenagers’ mental well-being, little to no research has been performed to investigate how the health of adults might be affected by the same and how social media platforms like Facebook impact them.

Topic 2: The contemporary practical management approach to treating personality disorders

Research Aim: This research will discuss the contemporary practical management approach for treating personality disorders in mental health patients. In the previous days, much of the personality disorder treatments were based on medicines and drugs. Therefore, this research will address contemporary and practical ways to manage how personality disorders affect the mental state of the individuals who have the disease.

Topic 3: How is Prozac being used in the modern-day to treat self-diagnosed depression?

Research Aim: In the current day and age, besides people suffering from clinical depression, many of the teens and the adults across have started to suffer from self-diagnosed depression. To treat their self-diagnosed depression, individuals take Prozac through all the wrong means, which harms their mental state even more. Therefore, the current study aims to shed light on how Prozac is being used in the modern age and the adverse effects of misinformed use on the patients.

Topic 4: Are women more prone to suffer from mental disorders than men: Comparative analysis

Research Aim: There have been several arguments regarding whether women are more likely to suffer from mental disorders than men. Much of the research carried out provides evidence that women are more prone to suffer from mental disorders. This research study aims to conduct a comparative analysis to determine whether it’s more likely for men or women to suffer from mental disorders and what role biological and societal factors play in determining the trend.

Topic 5: The impact of breakups on the mental health of men?

Research Aim: Several studies have been carried out to discuss how women are affected more by a breakup than men. However, little research material is available in support of the impact the end of a relationship can have on men’s mental health. Therefore, this research study will fill out the gap in research to determine the impact of a breakup on men’s mental health and stability.

Topic 6: A theoretical analysis of the Impact of emotional attachment on mental health?

Research Aim: This research aims to analyse the theories developed around emotional attachment to address how emotional attachment can harm individuals’ mental health across the globe. Several theories discuss the role that emotional attachment tends to play in the mind of a healthy being, and how emotional attachment can often negatively affect mental well-being.

Topic 7: How do social media friendships contribute to poor mental health?

Research Aim: This research idea aims to address how social media friendships and networking can often lead to a lack of self-acceptance, self-loathing, self-pity, self-comparison, and depression due to the different mindsets that are present in today’s world.

Topic 8: What role do parents play in ensuring the mental well-being of their children?

Research Aim: It is assumed that parents tend to stop playing a role in ensuring that the mental health and well-being of their children are being maintained after a certain age. Therefore, this study will aim to put forward the idea that even after the children pass the age of 18, activities and their relationship with their parents would always play a role in the way their mental health is being transformed.

Topic 9: A study on the mental health of soldiers returning from Iraq?

Research Aim: This topic idea puts forward the aim that the mental health of soldiers who return from war-struck areas is always a subject of interest, as each of the soldiers carries a mental burden. Therefore, it is vital to understand the soldiers’ mental health returning from Iraq, focusing on what causes their mental health to deteriorate during the war and suggestions of what to do or who to call if they do become unwell.

Topic 10: How the contemporary media practices in the UK are leading to mental health problems?

Research Aim: The media is known to have control and influence over people’s mindsets who are connected to it. Many of the contemporary media practices developed in the UK can negatively impact the mental well-being of individuals, which makes it necessary to analyse how they are contributing to the mental health problems among the UK population.

Topic 11: What is the impact of television advertising on the mental development of children in the UK?

Research Aim: This topic would aim to address how television advertising can negatively impact children’s mental development in the United Kingdom, as it has been observed in many studies that television advertising is detrimental to the mental health of children.

Topic 12: How deteriorating mental health can have an Impact on physical health?

Research Aim: This research aims to address the side-effects of deteriorating mental health on the physical health of individuals in the society, as it is believed that the majority of the physical ailments in the modern-day and age are due to the deteriorating mental health of individuals. The study can address the treatments for many ailments in our society due to deteriorating mental health and well-being.

Topic 13: The relationship between unemployment and mental health

Research Aim: How unemployment relates to concepts, such as a declining economy or lack of social skills and education, has been frequently explored by many researchers in the past. However, not many have discussed the relationship between unemployment and the mental health of unemployed individuals. Therefore, this topic will help address the problems faced by individuals due to unemployment because of the mental blocks they are likely to develop and experience. In the future, it would lead to fewer people being depressed due to unemployment when further research is carried out.

Topic 14: The mental health problems of prisoners in the United Kingdom

Research Aim: While prisoners across the globe are criticised and studied for the negativity that goes on in their mindsets, one would rarely research the mental health problems they tend to develop when they become a prisoner for committing any crime. It is often assumed that it is the life inside the prison walls that impacts the prisoners’ mental health in a way that leads to them committing more crimes. Therefore, this research topic has been developed to study prison’s impact on prisoners’ mental well-being in the United Kingdom to eventually decrease the number of crimes that occur due to the negative environment inside the prisons.

Topic 15: Mental well-being of industry workers in China

Research Aim: While many research studies have been carried out regarding the conditions that the workers in China tend to be exposed to, there is very little supporting evidence regarding the impact such working conditions have on the mindset and mental health of the workers. Therefore, this study aims to address the challenges faced by industry workers in China and the impact that such challenges can have on their mental well-being.

Topic 16: Is the provision of mental health care services in the United Kingdom effective?

Research Aim: Many people have made different assumptions regarding the mental health care services provided across the globe. However, it seems that little to no research has been carried out regarding the efficiency and effectiveness of the provision of mental health care services in the United Kingdom. Therefore, this study aims to put forward research into the mental health care services provided in well-developed countries like the United Kingdom to gauge the awareness and importance of mental health in the region.

Topic 17: What are the mental health problems the minorities in the United Kingdom face?

Research Aim: It is believed that the minorities in the United Kingdom are likely to experience physical abuse, societal abuse and are often exposed to discrimination and unfair acts at the workplace and in their social circle. The study investigates the range of mental problems faced by minorities in the UK, which need to be addressed to have equality, diversity, and harmony.

Topic 18: The impact the Coronavirus has had on the mental health of the Chinese people

Research Aim: The spread of the deadly Coronavirus has led to many deaths in the region of China, and many of those who have been suspected of the virus are being put in isolation and quarantine. Such conditions tend to have hurt the mental health of those who have suffered from the disease and those who have watched people suffer from it. Therefore, the current study aims to address how the Coronavirus has impacted the mental health of the Chinese people.

Topic 19: How to create change in mental health organisations in China?

Research Aim: Research suggests little awareness about mental health in many Asian countries. As mental health problems are on the rise across the globe, it is necessary to change mental health organisations. Therefore, the study aims to discuss how to create change in mental health organisations in the Asian region using China’s example.

Topic 20: Addressing the mental health concerns of the Syrian refugees in the UK

Research Aim: This research project would address the concerns in terms of the refugees’ mental health and well-being, using an example of the Syrian refugees who had been allowed entry into the United Kingdom. This idea aims to put forward the negative effects that migration can have on the refugees and how further research is required to combat such issues not just in the United Kingdom but worldwide.

How Can ResearchProspect Help?

ResearchProspect writers can send several custom topic ideas to your email address. Once you have chosen a topic that suits your needs and interests, you can order for our dissertation outline service which will include a brief introduction to the topic, research questions , literature review , methodology , expected results , and conclusion . The dissertation outline will enable you to review the quality of our work before placing the order for our full dissertation writing service!

Important Notes:

As a mental health student looking to get good grades, it is essential to develop new ideas and experiment on existing mental health theories – i.e., to add value and interest in the topic of your research.

Mental health is vast and interrelated to so many other academic disciplines like civil engineering ,  construction ,  project management , engineering management , healthcare , finance and accounting , artificial intelligence , tourism , physiotherapy , sociology , management , project management , and nursing . That is why it is imperative to create a project management dissertation topic that is articular, sound, and actually solves a practical problem that may be rampant in the field.

We can’t stress how important it is to develop a logical research topic based on your entire research. There are several significant downfalls to getting your topic wrong; your supervisor may not be interested in working on it, the topic has no academic creditability, the research may not make logical sense, there is a possibility that the study is not viable.

This impacts your time and efforts in writing your dissertation as you may end up in the cycle of rejection at the initial stage of the dissertation. That is why we recommend reviewing existing research to develop a topic, taking advice from your supervisor, and even asking for help in this particular stage of your dissertation.

While developing a research topic, keeping our advice in mind will allow you to pick one of the best mental health dissertation topics that fulfill your requirement of writing a research paper and add to the body of knowledge.

Therefore, it is recommended that when finalizing your dissertation topic, you read recently published literature to identify gaps in the research that you may help fill.

Remember- dissertation topics need to be unique, solve an identified problem, be logical, and be practically implemented. Please look at some of our sample mental health dissertation topics to get an idea for your own dissertation.

How to Structure your Mental Health Dissertation

A well-structured dissertation can help students to achieve a high overall academic grade.

• A Title Page
• Acknowledgements
• Declaration
• Abstract: A summary of the research completed
• Table of Contents
• Introduction : This chapter includes the project rationale, research background, key research aims and objectives, and the research problems. An outline of the structure of a dissertation can also be added to this chapter.
• Literature Review : This chapter presents relevant theories and frameworks by analysing published and unpublished literature available on the chosen research topic to address research questions . The purpose is to highlight and discuss the selected research area’s relative weaknesses and strengths whilst identifying any research gaps. Break down the topic, and key terms that can positively impact your dissertation and your tutor.
• Methodology : The data collection and analysis methods and techniques employed by the researcher are presented in the Methodology chapter which usually includes research design , research philosophy, research limitations, code of conduct, ethical consideration, data collection methods, and data analysis strategy .
• Findings and Analysis : Findings of the research are analysed in detail under the Findings and Analysis chapter. All key findings/results are outlined in this chapter without interpreting the data or drawing any conclusions. It can be useful to include graphs, charts, and tables in this chapter to identify meaningful trends and relationships.
• Discussion and Conclusion : The researcher presents his interpretation of results in this chapter, and state whether the research hypothesis has been verified or not. An essential aspect of this section of the paper is to draw a linkage between the results and evidence from the literature. Recommendations with regards to implications of the findings and directions for the future may also be provided. Finally, a summary of the overall research, along with final judgments, opinions, and comments, must be included in the form of suggestions for improvement.
• References : This should be completed following your University’s requirements
• Bibliography
• Appendices : Any additional information, diagrams, and graphs used to complete the dissertation but not part of the dissertation should be included in the Appendices chapter. Essentially, the purpose is to expand the information/data.

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How to find mental health dissertation topics.

To find mental health dissertation topics:

• Research recent mental health issues.
• Examine gaps in existing literature.
• Consider diverse populations or perspectives.
• Explore treatment approaches or therapies.
• Look into stigma and societal factors.
• Select a topic that resonates with you for in-depth study.

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Research Topics

Five research topics exploring the science of mental health.

Mental wellbeing is increasingly recognized as an essential aspect of our overall health. It supports our ability to handle challenges, build strong relationships, and live more fulfilling lives. The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasizes the importance of mental health by acknowledging it as a fundamental human right.

This Mental Health Awareness Week, we highlight the remarkable work of scientists driving open research that helps everyone achieve better mental health.

Here are five Research Topics that study themes including how we adapt to a changing world, the impact of loneliness on our wellbeing, and the connection between our diet and mental health.

All articles are openly available to view and download.

1 | Community Series in Mental Health Promotion and Protection, volume II

40.300 views | 16 articles

There is no health without mental health. Thus, this Research Topic collects ideas and research related to strategies that promote mental health across all disciplines. The goal is to raise awareness about mental health promotion and protection to ensure its incorporation in national mental health policies.

This topic is of relevance given the mental health crisis being experienced across the world right now. A reality that has prompted the WHO to declare that health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing.

View Research Topic

2 | Dietary and Metabolic Approaches for Mental Health Conditions

176.800 views | 11 articles

There is increased recognition that mental health disorders are, at least in part, a form of diet-related disease. For this reason, we focus attention on a Research Topic that examines the mechanistic interplay between dietary patterns and mental health conditions.

There is a clear consensus that the quality, quantity, and even timing of our human feeding patterns directly impact how brains function. But despite the epidemiological and mechanistic links between mental health and diet-related diseases, these two are often perceived as separate medical issues.

Even more urgent, public health messaging and clinical treatments for mental health conditions place relatively little emphasis on formulating nutrition to ease the underlying drivers of mental health conditions.

3 | Comparing Mental Health Cross-Culturally

94.000 views | 15 articles

Although mental health has been widely discussed in later years, how mental health is perceived across different cultures remains to be examined. This Research Topic addresses this gap and deepens our knowledge of mental health by comparing positive and negative psychological constructs cross-culturally.

The definition and understanding of mental health remain to be refined, partially because of a lack of cross-cultural perspectives on mental health. Also, due to the rapid internationalization taking place in the world today, a culturally aware understanding of, and interventions for mental health problems are essential.

4 | Adaption to Change and Coping Strategies: New Resources for Mental Health

85.000 views | 29 articles

In this Research Topic, scientists study a wider range of variables involved in change and adaptation. They examine changes of any type or magnitude whenever the lack of adaptive response diminishes our development and well-being.

Today’s society is characterized by change, and sometimes, the constant changes are difficult to assimilate. This may be why feelings of frustration and defenselessness appear in the face of the impossibility of responding adequately to the requirements of a changing society.

Therefore, society must develop an updated notion of the processes inherent to changing developmental environments, personal skills, resources, and strategies. This know-how is crucial for achieving and maintaining balanced mental health.

5 | Mental Health Equity

29.900 views | 10 articles

The goal of this Research Topic is to move beyond a synthesis of what is already known about mental health in the context of health equity. Rather, the focus here is on transformative solutions, recommendations, and applied research that have real world implications on policy, practice, and future scholarship.

Attention in the field to upstream factors and the role of social and structural determinants of health in influencing health outcomes, combined with an influx of innovation –particularly the digitalization of healthcare—presents a unique opportunity to solve pressing issues in mental health through a health equity lens.

The topic is opportune because factors such as structural racism and climate change have disproportionately negatively impacted marginalized communities across the world, including Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), LGBTQ+, people with disabilities, and transition-age youth and young adults. As a result, existing disparities in mental health have exacerbated.

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Welcome and thank you for your interest in the Department of Mental Health.

The Department and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have a great deal to offer prospective students. We invite you to learn more and connect with current students .

The Department of Mental Health offers educational programs that lead to the doctor of philosophy (PhD) and the master of health science (MHS) degrees. We also offer postdoctoral training, two certificate programs and a special Summer Institute.

Degree Programs

The Department of Mental Health offers a doctoral level program, a master's program in health science and a combined bachelors/masters program.

Master of Health Science (MHS) in Mental Health

The MHS is a nine-month degree program that provides a foundation in the research methods and content-area knowledge essential to public mental health.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Mental Health

The PhD program provides advanced training in the application of research methods to understand and enhance public mental health.

Bachelor's / MHS

The Bachelor's/MHS program gives Public Health Studies majors at Johns Hopkins University an opportunity to seamlessly extend their undergraduate studies to graduate-level coursework and research.

Non-Degree Programs

Postdoctoral training.

The Department of Mental Health offers opportunities for postdoctoral training, including three training programs funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and one funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) , which complement the research-based training of doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows. The department also participates in an interdisciplinary program, funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA). In addition, individual faculty may be able to support postdoctoral fellows through a research grant. See the Funded Training Programs .

Certificate Programs

Public mental health research.

Our certificate program provides graduate training in understanding the causes and consequences of mental disorders in populations. The goals of the program are to increase the epidemiologic expertise of psychiatrists and other mental health professionals, as well as the number of epidemiologists, biostatisticians and health policy makers interested in psychiatric disorders.

Mental Health Policy, Economics, and Services

The certificate introduces current issues in mental health policy including economic evaluation of mental and substance disorders and their treatments; access to mental health care treatments and utilization patterns; and mental health care financing, insurance, and delivery system issues in the US. It is open to Johns Hopkins University graduate students interested in policy, advocacy, and research careers within the field of mental health and junior and mid-level public health professionals interested in expanding their knowledge base and expertise in mental health services and economics and related policy issues.

Accelerated Learning Institutes

Summer institute in mental health research.

Summer Institute in Mental Health Research participants will understand the latest findings on the occurrences of mental health and substance use disorders in the population and their implications for public mental health; know the steps involved in the scientific, empirical evaluation of services and interventions targeted for mental health outcomes; and acquire the skills and knowledge needed in using the state of the art methodological tools for collecting and analyzing mental health data.

MOOCs: Massive Open Online Courses 

As part of its growing online educational program, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health offers Massive Open Online Courses – also known as MOOCs -- in collaboration with Coursera. Department of Mental Health faculty are teaching the following MOOC this term:

Major Depression in the Population: A Public Health Approach

This course is about the framework of public health as applied to the specific psychiatric disorder of major depression.   View a video  for more details about this course.

Department of Mental Health Faculty : William Eaton, PhD, Wietse A. Tol, PhD and Ramin Mojtabai, MD Course Description : Illustrates the principles of public health applied to depressive disorder, including principles of epidemiology, transcultural psychiatry, health services research and prevention.

UCL Institute of Mental Health

UCL Wellcome 4-year PhD in Mental Health Science

About the programme, frequently asked questions, how to apply, supervisors and steering committee, supporting students.

This programme, funded in 2019, is the first of its kind in the UK, representing an investment of over £5m by the Wellcome Trust. It is based in the UCL Institute of Mental Health, and will recruit six students per year from 2020-2024.

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Contact details

Director Jonathan Roiser: [email protected]

Co-directors Alexandra Pitman:  [email protected] Sunjeev Kamboj:  [email protected]

For general information: [email protected]

Applications

No longer accepting applications.

Student Website

Visit our student-led website to found out more about the students on the programme:

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Read the latest blogs written by our PhD students whilst studying on the programme:

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Mental Health and Your PhD: Resources and Support

Mental health is a serious issue that impacts students at any level. PhD students face unique stressors and pressure that can impact mental health. Use the resources in this guide to find the support you need.

Dr. Luke Allen

Dr. Luke Allen (he/him/his) is a licensed psychologist in Oregon and Nevada in full-time telehealth private practice and has over three years of experience working in university and college counseling centers, most recently at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He has supervised graduate students in a training capacity since 2018 and continues to support graduate students in individual therapy. Dr. Allen specializes in college student mental health, treating anxiety and depression, as well as working with transgender and non-binary youth and their families on matters related to gender identity. Dr. Allen is also a WPATH Standards of Care 7 (SOC7) Certified Member and a WPATH SOC7 Certified Mentor and a co-author of the Standards of Care for the Health of Transgender and Gender Diverse People, Version 8.

It’s no secret that getting your PhD can be stressful. In fact, one study showed that more than 40% of PhD students surveyed struggled with their mental health while getting their degree. Struggling with your mental health could mean dealing with anxiety that keeps you up the night before a large exam, feeling less excited about a dissertation topic you used to love, or experiencing a general sense of unease or sadness. No matter what you’re feeling, it’s important to know you’re not alone, and there are accessible, meaningful ways to overcome mental health challenges.

This guide examines the most common mental health problems that PhD students face and describes how to recognize the mental and physical symptoms of such problems. You’ll learn the specific circumstances that make PhD students more vulnerable to mental health issues and how to manage you own mental health struggles. You’ll also receive actionable tips and the vital resources you need to feel calm and more at ease while completing your PhD. 

Mental Health Challenges of PhD Students

From anxiety to disordered eating, mental health challenges manifest in PhD students in different ways. These challenges can get in the way of studying, working on your research projects, and meaningfully connecting with your professors and classmates. Knowing the most common conditions and their symptoms is the first step to ensuring they don’t disrupt your daily life. 

Anxiety is an emotion that causes an abundance of negative thoughts . It’s characterized by a feeling of unease, worry over the future or present, and dread. Anxiety can stem from many triggers such as social situations or being exposed to a specific type of situation. While PhD students can experience a variety of anxiety types, workplace and academic anxiety is one of the most common. Academic anxiety feels like dread over your classwork, thesis, or other obligations. It can be a persistent feeling, can occur sporadically, or be the result of a specific trigger, such as an exam. 

Depression is a common mental condition  that affects the way people feel, think, and act. When someone has depression, they’re more likely to feel down about their situation in life and can be less motivated to work, spend time with loved ones, or pursue hobbies they used to enjoy. Like anxiety, depression can be persistent or triggered by a life event, such as failing to defend your thesis. When someone is depressed, they can feel like they have less energy and motivation. They might wonder why they can’t take action on the things they want to, be exhausted more often than usual, and wonder if life is meaningless. 

Chronic Stress

Chronic stress can have similar symptoms to anxiety, but the two conditions are different. While they do share certain symptoms, such as tension, headaches, and uneasiness, stress is usually due to an external factor, such as an unrealistic deadline or waiting to hear if you got a grant for your thesis. Anxiety, on the other hand, is from internal thought patterns. Stress during your PhD studies can  lead you feel overloaded  and can come from trying to juggle your studies, teaching, getting published, satisfying your advisor, and meeting all your family and personal obligations at the same time. Over time, stress can cause emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion. Chronic stress can also cause physical symptoms such as  muscle pain and high blood pressure  and lead to heart disease. 

Sleep Disruption

You’ve probably experienced a lack of sleep before a big presentation. It’s normal to feel nervous about what could go wrong and wanting to do well, and you may even lose sleep over these thoughts. However, sleep disruption becomes a significant challenge when it’s long term. If your thoughts are keeping you up past your bedtime night after night, you could be suffering from insomnia or a related condition. Whether you can’t seem to go to sleep at a good time or you’re waking up in the middle of the night, sleep disruption can lower your energy levels, make it difficult to focus, and can hinder your ability to recall important information. 

Disordered Eating

There are many types of disordered eating including bulimia, anorexia, and binge eating. Usually, these are an attempt to regain a sense of control when someone feels powerless or to meet an unrealistic body standard. Because disordered eating doesn’t let your body get the nutrients it needs, it can lead to low energy levels, trouble concentrating, and feeling faint or dizzy. For PhD students, disordered eating could also be caused by a lack of time to cook proper nutritious meals. Even if it seems like another task to add to the to-do list, making healthy meals is an important step to feeling your best and performing well professionally. 

Substance Abuse

Substance abuse problems can include drinking too much, overusing or wrongfully using legal drugs, or partaking in illegal drugs. Usually, people use these harmful substances to numb feelings they don’t want to experience or to enter an altered state of mind. PhD students in particular are at a higher risk for substance abuse, thanks to higher levels of stress. Researchers have found this is especially the case for PhD candidates in the behavioral and social sciences, social work, and the humanities. Substance abuse often looks like an intense craving for a substance and negative effects when not using it, such as headaches, body aches, difficulty concentrating, and a fuzzy memory.

PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)

If someone has gone through a traumatic event such as a sexual assault, a school shooting, or an armed conflict while in the military, they could have post-traumatic stress disorder. PTSD occurs when you have flashbacks to the event and live in a state of fear that it could happen again. People with PTSD find it difficult to relax or feel safe no matter their surroundings. When it comes to completing a PhD program, they may have more difficulty concentrating or could suffer flashbacks at inappropriate times, such as during a big presentation. Those with PTSD can also experience severe anxiety, mistrust, and nightmares. 

Other Major Psychiatric Disorders

Other disorders PhD students should be aware of include bipolar disorder, when your mood shifts between euphoria and depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), when you feel a need to act on an obsessive, irrational thought, such as cleaning a table after someone touches it. If you suspect you have these or any other mental health conditions, it’s always best to get additional support by visiting a mental health professional. They can provide you with a diagnosis and create a treatment plan. In a later section, we’ll review resources available to support PhD students as they navigate mental health challenges, including ones which can help you find a counselor or psychiatrist.

Under Pressure as a PhD Student

From defending your thesis, being a teaching assistant for an undergraduate course, and applying for summer research opportunities, you’re juggling a lot, and with a wide variety of responsibilities comes a lot of pressure. This pressure can contribute to mental health issues as it raises stress levels, disrupts emotional well-being, and can attack your confidence. To help you better tackle the pressures of being a PhD student, here’s some solutions to the most common stressors for PhD students. 

Competition 

Getting your PhD is competitive, and getting a tenure-track position after graduating can be even more cutthroat. Whether you’re applying to postgraduate jobs or competing against your fellow PhD students for departmental funding, you most likely will feel like you’re at odds with those around you. This air of competition can lead to a hostile work and social environment which is a breeding ground for almost all mental health challenges.

To combat this environment of competition, remind yourself that you’re only in competition with yourself, and by pursuing your PhD, you’re doing the hard work to better yourself. External competitions don’t need to exist, even if you really want that TA position over a fellow student. Instead, try to cultivate a friendly, supportive environment for yourself and your fellow students. If that isn’t possible, discuss workplace hostility training options with the head of your department. 

Imposter Syndrome 

As a PhD student, it’s easy to feel imposter syndrome. Often, you’re presenting your research on panels with tenured professors or submitting papers for publications in the top research journals in your field. Whether you’re nervous about your research being good enough or if you’re qualified to TA a master’s level course, remember the imposter syndrome is normal. Almost everyone doubts if they’re good enough, and even the most successful people suffer imposter syndrome. After acknowledging your feelings, remind yourself that your doubts aren’t your reality. 

Pressure to Publish 

A too common phrase in academia is “publish or peril.” While the phrase makes the situation sound dire, it also isn’t true. Having a variety of published papers under your belt can help your career, but it’s not the only thing that matters. Whenever you feel pressure to publish or like your research is falling behind, remind yourself that these are just anxious thoughts, not reality. For an extra confidence boost, talk with your research mentor or a trusted professor about their publication journey. You might be surprised to learn that they feel the same pressure. Even if they don’t get every research paper published, they still have a successful career, and you can too. 

High Workload

Another challenge for many PhD students is a high workload because they are juggling so many projects, classes, and part-time jobs. To make your workload more manageable, consider implementing effective time management practices, like calendar blocking or putting your phone in another room while working. Don’t forget to also schedule time for self care. If you are taking time for self care and have a time management strategy in place but the workload is still too much, talk to your professors about collaborative solutions to the problem. 

Added Pressure on Minority Groups 

If you’re a PhD student of color, you may face more stress than your white counterparts. This could be due to unconscious biases, being asked to take on extra diversity work, or a lack of representation in the faculty in your department. Whenever you feel undue pressure as a student of color, you should seek out support, whether that looks like heading to your university’s diversity office or joining a support group for minority PhD students. 

Pro-Level Mental Health Management

You’re now familiar with some common conditions and stressors for PhD students, but what about solutions? Thankfully, there are some pro-level mental health practices you can implement today. These include both self-care moves and getting additional support if you need it.

Elevated Self Care

• Exercise and movement:  Moving your body isn’t just good for your physical health, it can also improve your mental health because it generates feel-good endorphins that boost your mood. Exercise doesn’t have to be a hardcore CrossFit workout, though it could be. Moving your body could also include going for a walk around campus while listening to a good audiobook or while brainstorming ideas for your next research paper if you’re short on time.
• Mindfulness practices:  Sometimes we feel negative emotions because our minds are stuck in the past or the future. Mindfulness practices ground us in the present and remind us that we are doing a good job at breathing, surviving, and even thriving. Try a free meditation video or breathwork exercise from YouTube, journal your thoughts, or try to mindfully eat your next meal.
• Healthy diet:  Speaking of your next meal, why not make it flavorful and nutritious? Food is your fuel, so make sure you’re adding the right type to your engine. When you eat healthier, you are better able to focus, you feel better, and you can work for longer periods of time. If you’re short on time, try meal prepping a couple healthy lunches each Sunday. 
• Sleep prioritization:  Getting those Zzzs should be just as important as getting those As. If you find it tricky to get to sleep on time, set a timer for bedtime, –and try to get as close to eight hours as you can. You can also try out a sleep meditation or white noise app if you have trouble falling asleep once you’re in bed. 
• Listen to your body:  While self-care advice is great, you need to know what works for you. By listening to your body, you can rest when needed, feed it the type of food it craves, and take breaks whenever necessary. Meditation and journaling are two great ways to connect with your inner self and learn what your body needs. 

Pro-Level Care for High-Level Challenges

• Therapy or counseling:  If the self-care ideas aren’t resonating with you or you need additional support, consider therapy or counseling. Many campuses have free therapy options available to students. Your university may even have a variety of options, such as in-person therapy, teletherapy, or free access to a mental health app which allows you to customize the experience to your preferences and time constraints. 
• Psychiatric care:  If therapy isn’t working or you feel like you need a more robust solution, consider psychiatric care. You can opt to see a psychiatrist, do a group therapy program at an outpatient center, or spend some time in an inpatient center. Your mental health must come first, and seeking out psychiatric care is a courageous and crucial step to make sure it remains a priority.
• Medication if needed:  If you’re working with a psychiatrist, they may recommend medication to control a diagnosable condition, such as anxiety or bipolar disorder. Medication is an effective, safe option which has helped millions of people feel more at peace in their everyday lives. 

Mental Health Resources for Doctoral Students

If you are interested in getting extra support, there are free and low-cost resources available to you. As a PhD student, you can access on-campus resources, online resources, national resources, and state & local resources. We’ve compiled a list of examples for each type of resource.

On-Campus Resources

• Barnes Center at the Arc – Syracuse University’s health center has a variety of mental health resources available to PhD students enrolled at their school, including free counseling sessions and support groups.
• UCLA Substance Abuse Center – If you’re suffering from substance addiction and are attending a University of California school, consider the free counseling from the substance abuse center at UCLA.
• Dissertation Support Group – Any PhD student at University Nebraska-Lincoln can join the dissertation support group if they feel stressed over their dissertation or are looking for accountability.
• PhD Student Support – The University of Pennsylvania has a center devoted entirely to support for PhD students, including both academic and mental health resources
• Graduate Student Counseling – The University of Indiana’s Bloomington campus has counselors with specific training in helping graduate students. All PhD students enrolled at the university can use their counseling and other resources.

Online Resources

• BetterHelp  – As an online therapy app, BetterHelp provides low-cost therapy in a virtual format. It has partnered with universities across the country to provide students with their service for free.
• Calm  – Similar to BetterHelp, Calm provides mindfulness-based mental health solutions. The app includes meditation videos, affirmations, and more. 
• Free Breathwork Introduction  – If you’re looking to practice mindfulness, this breathing routine by mindfulness expert Wim Hof is a great place to start. 
• Meditation for Students  – Want to start meditating? Check out this free meditation designed specifically for students. 
• Self-compassion Quiz  – Dr. Kristen Neff, an expert in self-compassion, created this free quiz to help people learn where in their life they need to show themselves more compassion. 

National Resources

• Crisis Hotline  – If you’re experiencing a mental health crisis, call 988. Experts who work at the crisis hotline can provide relief in the moment and connect you with local resources for continued support. 
• National Council for Mental Wellbeing  – The National Council for Mental Wellbeing has a variety of helpful articles, tools, and resources for those looking to improve their mental health.
• Society of Behavioral Medicine  – This national group creates mental health resources available for free, including a guide to behavioral medicine and self care for graduate students. 
• The Anti-Burnout Club  – Along with organizing events around the country, this national nonprofit also offers free guides to beat burnout, including a free 30-day challenge for mental wellness. 
• MentalHealth.gov  – This federally funded website offers free mental health resources and guidance on what mental health services your health insurance covers. 

State & Local Resources

• California Mental Health Programs  – California has some of the most robust state-funded mental health programs in the country, including a search engine that can match you with local counselors who accept your health insurance. 
• CopeCode Club  – This Boston-based group offers coping mechanisms, online resources, and in-person meetups for adults in their 20s or early 30s who are experiencing mental health challenges. 
• NYC Well  – This state-funded organization helps those in New York City connect to local counseling options and other mental health resources. 
• Appalachian Community Center  – This nonprofit’s free telehealth groups are designed for those who live in Appalachia, a traditionally underserved part of the country.
• Texas Mental Health Services  – The Texas state government offers a variety of mental health resources, including a search engine to find counselors and support groups in local Texas communities.

Interview with a Mental Health Expert

Q: What are the first warning signs that a PhD student might want to devote more time to their mental health?

A: First, it is important to recognize that graduate school, especially a doctoral program, is not easy. Often students who are choosing to complete a doctoral program also have to work part time for low pay, be a full-time student, and then, depending on their field, they may feel like they have to engage in a lot of extra work (e.g., additional publishing or holding leadership roles) on top of that to be competitive for employment. It is hard enough to do those things on their own, and then incredible if that person also is trying to maintain a family or other romantic relationships, while also having time for self-care (e.g., sleep, exercise, and hobbies). Graduate school and all the other responsibilities students have can be the perfect storm for creating stress. Some of the first warning signs that students may want to devote more time to their mental health are if they begin to sacrifice getting good sleep or if anger, anxiety, or stress begin to manifest itself in their interpersonal relationships.

Q: What are your favorite self-care strategies for PhD students?

A: Sleep, exercise, and spending time in quality relationships cannot be underestimated. Focusing on improving sleep, exercising, and spending time in quality relationships (with family, friends, and people we care about), are likely to be the areas where will see the biggest return on investment with regard to mental health. Getting good sleep, exercise, and spending time in quality relationships will not solve everything, but you’ll likely be better off than you would be otherwise.

Q: How can PhD students prioritize their mental health, even with a busy schedule and stress to do well academically?

A: It may not actually always be possible to prioritize mental health while also prioritizing academics, work, and interpersonal relationships (not to mention sleep and exercise). Graduate school, depending on the intensity of your program, work obligations, and career aspirations, may be a time where you have to make a lot of sacrifices (e.g., sacrificing time spent in hobbies or time with friends). At a fundamental level, students can prioritize their mental health by establishing concrete sleep and exercise routines as well as improving time management and organization skills. 

Most university have a lot of sources of support available to graduate students too, including the university counseling center (which often offers free or low-cost counseling services), the university’s career center (which often can help with things like mock interviews and how to network or find mentors), and the university’s academic success center (e.g., often providing coaching on procrastination, time management, etc).

Q: How can PhD students overcome imposter syndrome?

A: PhD students might not actually need to “overcome” imposter syndrome. You’d be surprised how common imposter syndrome is, even among PhD graduates. The important question may be “Can you feel like you don’t know as much as your peers and at the same time, do the readings, do the work, and show up to classes?” If the answer is yes, then maybe you’ll end up being a doctor with imposter syndrome, but you’ll be a doctor and reach your goals nonetheless. And you’ll have earned it. If you find that imposter syndrome or anxiety makes it harder to participate in classes or other opportunities, then that may be a sign that you could benefit from talking to a mental health professional.

Q: What is one aspect of mental health that PhD students often overlook?

A: I know I am repetitive here, but students often overlook the importance of good sleep, regular exercise, and engaging in hobbies or spending time with people they care about. These have tremendous effects on mental health. It’s also not always easy to know how to navigate big milestones in your education (e.g., dissertation, applying for internships, residency, or post-doctoral opportunities). Finding a good mentor can help with navigating the stressors of graduate school and, indirectly, support mental health. It is important to know that the difficulties of graduate school are not permanent. It’s temporary, and presumably, you’ll not always feel as overworked as you may now.

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• Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences
• Mental Health PhD Program

A multidisciplinary PhD Program in Mental Health

This Program brings together graduate researchers addressing mental health from diverse disciplinary perspectives - psychiatry, psychology, epidemiology and community mental health, history and philosophy of psychiatry, general practice, paediatrics, psychiatric nursing and social work, among others. Launched in March 2018, the Program is a joint initiative of the University of Melbourne's School of Psychological Sciences, Centre for Mental Health and the Department of Psychiatry. These were joined in 2020 by the Centre for Youth Mental Health and the Florey Institute of Neuroscience & Mental Health.

Our goal is to provide all University of Melbourne PhD students researching mental health with a platform to connect, share and discover new disciplines so that they can become fully-rounded researchers who can approach the field of mental health from a multi-disciplinary perspective.

Host departments

The  Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences is one of the most highly regarded schools of psychology in Australia. The School attracts some of the best students nationally and internationally to its broad range of APAC-accredited undergraduate, graduate, professional and research programs. The School's teaching is underpinned by excellence in research across a range of fields, including cognitive and behavioural neuroscience, quantitative psychology, social psychology, developmental psychology and clinical science.

The  Centre for Mental Health is part of the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health and aims to improve mental health and mitigate the impact of mental illness at a population level. It does this through high-quality, collaborative, interdisciplinary research, academic teaching, professional and community education, and mental health system development. The Centre contributes to evidence-informed mental health policy and practice in Australia and internationally through the work of its three units:

• Global and Cultural Mental Health
• Mental Health Policy and Practice
• Population Mental Health.

The Centre's three units are involved in active and productive collaborations within the University and beyond. These relationships range from not-for-profit agencies like Mind Australia through to international NGOs such as the World Health Organization, and enables the translation of their research into policy and practice.

The   Department of Psychiatry is committed to the prevention of mental illness and improved quality of life for individuals affected by mental illness, both nationally and internationally. The Department has unique strengths around biological and translational psychiatry research which are internationally recognised. Together with clinical collaborations and involvement in mental health policy and practice, this provides a stimulating environment for learning and research training programs. Their research is driven by pure and applied questions that require cross-disciplinary approaches and partnerships with diverse community organisations - especially those effected with mental illness. The research informs our teaching and clinical training and engagement with the wider community.

The Centre for Youth Mental Health brings together the experience and expertise of world leaders in the field of youth mental health and has become an internationally renowned research centre in this field. The Centre focuses on understanding the biological, psychological and social factors that influence onset, remission and relapse of mental illnesses in young people. Its research findings are actively translated into improved policy, practice and training that inform the development of better interventions, treatments and service systems for young people at different stages of mental ill-health. The multidisciplinary nature of its research provides a diverse and stimulating environment for students. The local and international collaborations with other universities and research institutes link it with a broader research community, with unique global perspectives and the opportunity for an exciting exchange of ideas.

The Florey Institute of Neuroscience & Mental Health (The Florey) is the largest brain research group in the southern hemisphere and one of the world’s top brain research centres. It is an independent medical research institute with strong connections to other research groups, globally. Our scientists are found at three research facilities, one on the grounds of the University of Melbourne in Parkville, one in the adjacent Royal Melbourne Hospital and the other at Austin Health in Heidelberg.

• PhD programme

Tackling mental health along the PhD journey: spotlight on the PhD community

IRB Barcelona boasts an amazing PhD community comprising 90 young scientists from around the world ( 14 countries ). These talented individuals have decided to dive into a challenging 4-year journey in pursuit of knowledge and personal growth. A PhD is a huge undertaking emotionally, mentally and financially. Along this journey, PhD students experience a considerable degree of mental stress; however, mental health issues during doctoral studies are typically taboo, as if acknowledging them reflects weakness.

To get an idea of the extent of the problem, PhD students experience alarmingly high rates of depression, anxiety and stress . As graduate students, their risk of experiencing mental health issues is 6 times greater than for the general population1. Almost half of graduate students are depressed2, many reporting “more-than-average” or “tremendous” levels of stress connected to education, work, and financial concerns related to PhD studies3.

In recognition of the pressures experienced by its PhD community, IRB Barcelona backed the initiative of the Student Council to launch the first of a series of training sessions devoted to the mental health of the PhD community.

On 9 February, a virtual panel addressing “Mental Health for PhD students” sought to remove the stigma around mental health with help from four experts from varying backgrounds ( Anna Gutiérrez , Chris Barrett , Ramón Nogueras , and Anna Houstecka ). The panel’s goal was to provide the PhD community with actionable advice on how to cope with the stress, depression and anxiety so common to this collective. Also, techniques to deal with the fear of failure and the imposter syndrome were discussed.

Adrià Fernández , a PhD student in the Structural Bioinformatics and Network Biology lab and member of the Student Council says, “PhD studies are done in a highly competitive environment and students wrongly associate feelings of anxiety and depression with weakness. But stress is a normal response to pressure. The first step is to identify the problems and have the tools to learn what to do. In this context, this first panel session on PhD mental health is a step in the right direction and aims to arm our PhD community with resources to enable them to cope better.”

All this is closely linked to one of the topics covered by the panel, the so-called Impostor Syndrome.

Hanna Kranas , a PhD student in the Biomedical Genomics lab and member of the Student Council, says, “Impostor syndrome is where a person experiences a feeling of inadequacy. They feel that they are a “fraud”, that they are tricking people into believing that they are better than they really are.”

Adrià adds, “During the PhD, one of the many triggers of Impostor syndrome is when you realise that you are not going to fulfil all of the expectations that you had at the beginning.”

PhD studies are often bumpy, especially in research as those vital experiments may not give the expected results, thus frustrating the ambitions of making a breakthrough and publishing those much-valued research papers. So negative results from experiments are greatly feared among the PhD community.

In the context of feeling failure and the sensation of having wasted time, Valentina Ramponi , PhD student in the Cellular Plasticity and Disease lab and member of the Student Council makes an interesting comment on the value of experiments giving negative results and the need to change the current system. “Until very recently, negative results have never been published. However, in the last two years, you can publish if an animal trial didn’t work and this is very good also from an ethical point of view. Now there is also a new journal that publishes only negative results. In my opinion, this is amazing because it’s the real meaning of science,” she says. Indeed, these comments lead one to reflect that understanding why something failed can also contribute new knowledge to a given field. Valentina’s comment indicates that this reflection has been overlooked for many years.   

By definition of their respective professions, the two psychotherapists, Anna Gutiérrez and Chris Barratt , and psychologist, Ramón Nogueras , on the panel session have expertise in handling stress and in providing coping strategies. However, the fourth member of the panel, Anna Houstecka, breaks away from this profile and is an interesting case in point. After experiencing stress while doing her PhD in Economics in Barcelona, Anna decided to set up the PeacehD website to provide support to the PhD community.

 “My web project started to be formed spring last year when I came up with the name PeacehD and began thinking about all the ingredients of my own journey and how to best provide others the opportunity to improve their PhD experience”. With more time available under the lockdown conditions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and while simultaneously undertaking a postdoc at the Institute for Employment Research in Germany, Anna hatched the PeacehD initiative, which was launched in December 2020. Her website is divided into four main sections the PhD experience, support from professionals, blog, and resources. “All in all, the website is there to create a community of people who struggle with the same issues in their PhD, give them information, connect them, and offer them various options to deal with common issues,” she explains.  

Anna herself is not ashamed to say that she sought therapy during the first year of her PhD and she thinks access to personalised tools is crucial to navigate the PhD journey. “The therapist can find the best ways to change those negative patterns that may lead to high levels of anxiety or depression,” she says.

The need of PhD students for dedicated support is perhaps reflected by the fact that since the launch of PeacehD in December, 26 people have already signed up to be in a support group and 30 have replied to questionnaires. The website has had 140 visitors overall and it has 211 followers on Twitter.  

Apart from removing any shame attached to feelings of stress or anxiety and to talking about them and looking for solutions, Anna says, “I want to encourage the students to make their mental health a priority. It takes effort but it´s absolutely worth it!”

This first panel organised by the Student Council intends to be a step in this direction by providing a safe environment in which mental health issues can be openly acknowledged and discussed and in which the members of our talented PhD community can learn vital life skills that will serve them during their PhD journey and beyond.

• Evans, T., Bira, L., Gastelum, J. et al. Evidence for a mental health crisis in graduate education. Nat Biotechnol 36, 282–284 (2018).  https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt.4089  
• Graduate Student Happiness & Well-Being Report (2014).  http://ga.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/wellbeingreport_summary_2014.pdf  
• Smith, E. & Brooks, Z. Graduate student mental health 2015. University of Arizona, Graduate & Professional Student Council (2015)   http://nagps.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/NAGPS_Institute_mental_health_survey_report_2015.pdf

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• Westchester

This PhD in Mental Health Counseling program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

Next Generation Leaders

This program is designed to train mental health counselors in advanced clinical and supervisory skills, prepare counselors to conduct research that will further the profession’s knowledge base, and foster the next generation of leaders who will be teachers and advocates for the mental health counseling profession across the country.

Advance your education

• Students emerge as highly skilled professionals in therapeutic practice and research, well-positioned to be leaders in the field and advocates for their clients and the profession.
• Master-level students gain advanced professional training, opportunities for intensive research, and opportunities to significantly advance the field of mental health.
• Specializations include grief counseling, substance abuse counseling, and positive psychotherapy and counseling.

Take Courses Like…

Throughout the curriculum, you’ll receive intensive training focused on advanced clinical issues, counseling education, supervision, and research focused on the promotion of mental health and the counseling profession.

Graduates leave the program equipped with a solid foundation in counseling built upon a combination of coursework, fieldwork, seminars, and guided research.

• MHC 731 Theories and Methods of Counselor
• MHC 732 Theories and Methods of Counselor Supervision
• MHC 831 Doctoral Dissertation Seminar I

Add Opportunities And Experiences

A small and selective program—accepting approximately 10 students per academic year—means small classes, in which students are exposed to evidence-based counseling approaches for demographically and clinically diverse populations.

Students work closely with faculty to develop and carry out independent research projects culminating in a doctoral dissertation. These activities are designed to integrate counseling intervention and research skills training, preparing graduates for a variety of counseling, policy-based, advocacy, teaching, and research careers.

The Department of Psychology’s strong community of faculty, professionals, and alumni in the field of mental health equip doctoral students with an established network of support. Both faculty and alumni hold key leadership positions in the New York Mental Health Counselors Association (NYMHCA).

Each semester, the department offers a speaker series inviting leading researchers and professionals to talk about current and pertinent issues in the field.

“This unique doctoral program will provide mental health professionals with the opportunity to take their training and knowledge to the next level in a way that will help them stand apart from the crowd. In essence, we are seeking to develop the next wave of leaders in counseling that will help significantly advance the study and treatment of mental health.” –Paul Griffin, PhD, Department Chair

Professional Associations

Students and faculty can interact, join, and present at regional, state, and national association conferences. This includes developing partnerships to conduct critical research on topics impacting individuals seeking mental health counseling services and beyond. Faculty have a longstanding and collaborative relationship with the following key organizations, allowing them to guide students in establishing professional connections during their time in the program.

• American Counseling Association (ACA)
• American Counseling Association-New York (ACA-NY)
• American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA)
• New York Mental Health Counselors Association (NYMHCA)
• Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES)
• North Atlantic Region Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (NARACES)
• New York Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES)

Choose Your Career

Career options.

The PhD program prepares candidates for a multitude of growing careers, including:

• Community mental health
• Mental health policymaking
• Private practice
• University teaching

What You Need to Know

Students who substantially meet the following requirements will be invited to an interview with the departmental admission screening committee:

• An earned master’s degree in mental health counseling with a curriculum equivalent to that of Pace University’s 60-credit graduate master of science program in mental health counseling.
• Earned graduate-level GPA of 3.6 or higher.
• Submitted letters of recommendation, personal statement, and official academic transcripts.
• Students are required to complete 100 clinical hours in a supervised clinical setting for MHC 710: Doctoral Practicum in Mental Health Counseling
• Students are required to complete 600 internship hours of supervised experiences in at least three of the five doctoral core areas (counseling, teaching, supervision, research and scholarship, leadership and advocacy) for MHC 725 & MHC 726: Doctoral Internship I & II
• Be eligible for New York State limited permit in mental health counseling.
• Obtained a limited permit in New York State.
• Be licensed in mental health counseling in New York State.
• Be licensed in mental health counseling in a state other than New York.

CACREP Annual Assessment Reports

MS and PhD Programs in Mental Health Counseling-Field Placement Site Supervisor Training (PDF) Please read and review the PowerPoint Training and the MS and/or corresponding PhD Field Placement Practicum and Internship Handbook as part of our CACREP Accreditation Requirement.

MS and PhD Programs in Mental Health Counseling Field Placement Site Supervisor Training Verification (PDF) Site supervisors are required to complete this form each semester that they sponsor MS and/or PhD Practicum or Internship students as part of our CACREP Accreditation Requirement.

• Meet Program Faculty
• PhD Student Handbook
• PhD Field Placement Practicum and Internship Handbook
• PhD Program of Study Curriculum Worksheet
• Dissertation Template

The following is Pace University’s Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Program Objectives (POs) Assessment Report for the program's annual review. This plan includes input from the various stakeholders including: aggregate student assessment data that addresses student knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions; demographic and other characteristics of applicants, students, and graduates; and data from systematic follow-up studies of graduates, site supervisors, and employers of program graduates.

The assessment data compiled and analyzed is based on a five-point scale which is constituted as:

• Ineffective
• Somewhat Ineffective
• Very Effective

Program goals are baselined at a minimum standard of 80% to designate “meeting standard” or above. Our students continued to receive high quality academic instruction, strong clinical practicum experiences, and internship professional roles among five doctoral core areas, including:

• Supervision
• Research and scholarship
• Leadership and advocacy.

99% of our stakeholders indicated that the program was Effective or Very Effective in meeting the program objectives. Again, 99% of our stakeholders indicated that the program was Adequate, Effective, or Very Effective in meeting the program objectives.

View complete Program Objectives (PO) Annual Assessment Report for 2022–2023 (PDF)

99% of our stakeholders indicated that the program was Effective or Very Effective in meeting the program objectives. 100% of our stakeholders indicated that the program was Adequate, Effective, or Very Effective in meeting the program objectives.

View complete Program Objectives (PO) Annual Assessment Report for 2021-2022 (PDF)

The following is Pace University’s Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Program Objectives (POs) Assessment Report for the program’s annual review. This plan includes input from the various stakeholders including: aggregate student assessment data that addresses student knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions; demographic and other characteristics of applicants, students, and graduates; and data from systematic follow-up studies of graduates, site supervisors, and employers of program graduates.

• Somewhat Effective

Our previous program goals have been baselined at a minimum standard of 85% to designate “meeting standard” or above. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, while students continued to receive high quality academic instruction, strong clinical practicum experiences, and internship professional roles among five doctoral core areas, including: (1) counseling; (2) supervision; (3) teaching; (4) research and scholarship; (5) leadership and advocacy, all transitioned to remote platforms. The results of our annual Program Objectives assessment were impacted due to classes and field placements transitioning to remote platforms. This resulted in all of our constituencies adapting to multiple modalities, including academic instruction, clinical telehealth services and provisions, and remote supervision. Several of our students needed to secure new practicum placements and/or professional roles for internship as their original sites either fully paused services or could not support the requirements associated with CACREP standards and/or New York State Office of the Professions regulations. As such, we have adjusted our baseline minimum standard from 85% to 80% for this academic year to reflect these adjustments. Additionally, we have also included Adequate, Effective, and Very Effective in the five-point scale to calculate our aggregate outcome. While this baseline adjustment has been made, the program will continue to document, review and report any changes based on the 85% original baseline.

97% of our stakeholders indicated that the program was Adequate, Effective or Very Effective in meeting the program objectives.

View complete Program Objectives (PO) Annual Assessment Report for 2020-21 (PDF)

The assessment data compiled and analyzed is based on a five point scale which is constituted as:

• Very Effective.

Program goals are baselined at a minimum standard of 85% to designate “meeting standard” or above.

97% of our stakeholders indicated that the program was Effective or Very Effective in meeting the program objectives.

View complete Program Objectives (PO) Annual Assessment Report for 2019-20 (PDF)

Part I: Narrative

During the 2018-2019 academic year, the faculty and staff of the Doctor of Philosophy programs in Mental Health Counseling at Pace University conducted an annual review of the program. The program’s core objectives remain focused on fostering student development in advanced clinical and supervisory skills, training them to become proficient researchers that will advance knowledge on issues pertaining to mental health and counseling, and to promote future leaders of the profession who will serve as both educators and advocates. Past and current students’ dissertations have examined key issues in clinical mental health counseling and counselor education. To assist them in their studies, graduate assistantships and adjunct teaching assignments continue to be offered to doctoral students in the department. Based on the feedback that we received during the CACREP Site Visit in May 2018, the changes outlined below were implemented:

• MHC 707: Qualitative Methods in Counseling Research (4 credits)
• MHC 710: Doctoral Practicum in Mental Health Counseling (4 credits)
• MHC 726: Doctoral Internship II in Mental Health Counseling (0 credits)
• MHC 734: Advanced Theory & Practice of Counseling (4 credits)

Additionally, the department modified the following course curriculum to include Leadership and Advocacy (CACREP Section 6 Standard B 5.d.-Accreditation): MHC 733: Leadership & Advocacy in Mental Health Counseling

Further, the MHC 710: Doctoral Practicum in Mental Health Counseling course at the master’s level is now a significant preparation for our program. Michael Tursi, Ph.D. (from the counselor education doctoral program at the University of Rochester) continues to advance our practicum and internship courses, including MHC 725: Doctoral Internship I in Mental Health Counseling and MHC 726: Doctoral Internship II in Mental Health Counseling. Both courses are significantly structured and students’ progress is documented throughout.

Part II: Graduates and Pass, Completion, and Job Placement Rates

• Number of Graduates: 6
• Program Completion Rate: 100% for the 2018-2019 academic year
• Estimate of Job Placement Rates: Many of our students enter our program either as licensed and/or certified counselors, limited permit holders, and/or apply for permits in mental health counseling while enrolled. The graduates who complete their doctorate in May 2019, are employed either full time or part in mental health counseling settings, school setting, and/or teach as adjuncts in counseling or related areas.

View complete Program Objectives (PO) Annual Assessment Report for 2018-19 (PDF)

During the 2017-2018 academic year, the faculty and staff of the Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling at Pace University conducted an annual review of the program.

We focused on following up on emphasizing ethical standards in the key practice courses within the program. We have included this focus as it relates to internships, practicum experiences, as well as other courses. We stress the importance of ethics and multicultural diversity in the foundations course, the introductory counseling courses, as well as the group counseling, family counseling, social and cultural foundations, and the elective LGBTQA+ course.

In the past year, the practicum course has evolved into a robust preparation for the internship courses. Dr. Michael Tursi, a new addition to our department with a doctorate in counselor education from the University of Rochester, has brought fresh perspectives into this course as well as into the doctoral-level internship course.

Finally, the department determined that additional faculty in the field of mental health counseling was needed. We have hired two new full-time faculty in the counselor education field to start in the Fall 2018 semester.

• Number of Graduates: 27
• # tested: 5
• # passed: 3
• # passed: 5
• Program Completion Rate: 100% for 2017-18 Academic Year
• Estimate of Job Placement Rates: Approximately 60% of our graduates are currently employed in a counseling or a counseling-related capacity.

View complete Program Objectives (PO) Annual Assessment Report for 2017-18 (PDF)

Centre for Global Mental Health

Research degrees (phd).

The Centre for Global Mental Health specialises in providing high quality PhD training opportunities in topics related to Global Mental Health, and offers students a broad range of possible PhD supervisors to gain the skills they will need for a career in mental health research. The research projects are mainly based in low and middle income countries, with supervision provided locally as well as by academics based in the UK.

Students register at either the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London, or the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), depending on which institution their lead supervisor is based.  Joint supervision across institutions is possible, although students will be registered at only 1 institution (the institution of their lead supervisor), and will receive their degree from this institution.

Research Areas

Staff in the CGMH work on the following themes

• Dementia and disorders of old age
• Depression and Anxiety 
• HIV and Depression
• Adolescent mental health

Application steps

1. Clarify your research topic

2. Identify a prospective supervisor

3. Identify how your research degree will be funded

4. Draft your research proposal outline

5. Check that you meet, or are expecting to meet the institutions general entry requirements

6. Check the application deadlines associated with your chosen programme

7. Apply online using the instituitons application portal 

CGMH Current PhD students

Dr Tessa Roberts

Pedro Zitko

Dr Elaine C. Flores

Christina Daskalopoulou

Natasha Croome

Ms Georgina Miguel Esponda

Norha Vera San Juan

Asmae Doukani

Daiane machado, temitope ademosu.

Sachin Shinde

Caroline Smartt

Shivani Mathur Gaiha

Divya Kumar

Welcome to the Midlands Mental Health and Neurosciences PhD Programme for Healthcare Professionals

The Midlands hosts the most innovative centres in mental health and neurosciences (MH&N), including digital mental health, clinical trials, neuroimaging, and epidemiology, serving an area of huge clinical need.

The Midlands Mental Health & Neurosciences PhD Programme is led by the University of Nottingham, in collaboration with University of Birmingham, University of Leicester, and University of Warwick, and our local NHS Trusts in the Midlands.

The Programme

In a research environment that is dynamic, socially inclusive, and supportive, our Doctoral Training Programme (DTP) will develop an excellent, multidisciplinary, multi-professional researchers and an inter-sectoral research Midlands hub, facilitating adult learning, developing research and leadership skills, independent and critical thinking, and sharing of ideas, and teamwork.

Our PhD scholars will undertake excellent challenge-led research encompassing MH&N discovery science to translational and applied health research, covering the human lifespan and taking a bio-psycho-social approach, commensurate with the complex presentations, experiences, interventions, and impact of mental ill-health.

Our PhDs are funded by the generous contribution of Wellcome in collaboration with our DTP universities.

• NHS salary for three years (based on current pay) – Employing Trusts will be paid this money to backfill the PhD student’s time on the Programme.*
• Home (UK) rate tuition fees for three years
• Generous research costs
• Generous funds for additional training
• Travel costs for research
• PhD students are permitted to undertake up to 0.2 FTE clinical work to maintain their clinical skills, which will be paid for by the Programme

*Funding for salaries is based on average NHS pay bands for different healthcare professionals, which Wellcome has used to fund this programme. We may be able to accommodate funding above the average pay bands, but this will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

Our vision, with inclusivity at its core, is to develop the next generation of multi-skilled research leaders amongst healthcare professionals from diverse cultural backgrounds and professions to conduct excellent research and advance knowledge in MH&N, paving the way to better patient, family, and carer care; community empowerment; and social development.

Develop the next generation of multidisciplinary clinical academics in mental health & neurosciences (MH&N)

Conduct and disseminate world-leading research

Create and sustain an ambitious Midlands-based, internationally connected, compassionate clinical-academic ecosystem, collaborating to address the key contemporary mental health challenges

Our Guiding Principles

High quality research.

We will support our scholars to undertake high-quality research, that is going to answer the key questions the scholars seek to address. Through rigorous peer review and links with experts in the field nationally and internationally, we will ensure that the PhD projects are of the highest quality.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)

We are committed to Advance HE’s Guiding Principles of the Race Equality Charter and Athena Swan Charter , and strive to follow their Good Practice Initiatives . We strongly encourage applications from those groups who are underrepresented in different healthcare professions and those with lived experience of mental health difficulties.

Improvement and innovation through continuous evaluation

We have several years of experience running different DTPs, but we believe in self-improvement and we want to ensure that the PhD programme is tailored to the needs to our PhD scholars. Through regular consultation with our PhD scholars, supervisors, and our PPI members, we will learn about what is considered good practice and where we need to do better.

Interdisciplinarity and Team Science

Our scholars will be addressing in their research large and complex MH&N challenges, which requires teamwork and input from different professional groups and experts in different research methods. We strongly encourage interdisciplinarity. Scholars will have the opportunity to develop their skills and research projects with the input from experts from multiple disciplines, thereby enabling innovation within their own healthcare professional group. Our Team Science approach ensures that our PhD scholars get the benefits of working as part of a team, where the contributions of each member of the team are recognised.

Patient and Public Involvement (PPI)

PPI is core to our DTP and to all our scholars’ projects. PPI offers researchers:

• An improved understanding of what is important to patients and the public about a specific area/topic
• An alternative point of view
• An early indication of whether people would want to participate in the study (or how to improve the experience of participating in a study), and
• Guidance regarding dissemination of their research findings.

PPI will be expected at every stage of the scholar’s PhD journey, from the conceptualisation of the project to the dissemination plans. Scholars may also have a PPI member as part of their advisory team.

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Understanding the mental health of doctoral researchers: a mixed methods systematic review with meta-analysis and meta-synthesis

Cassie m. hazell.

1 School of Social Sciences, University of Westminster, 115 New Cavendish Street, London, W1W 6UW UK

Laura Chapman

2 School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, BN1 9QJ UK

Sophie F. Valeix

3 Research and Enterprise, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, BN1 9RH UK

Paul Roberts

4 Centre for Higher Education and Equity Research, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, BN1 9RH UK

Jeremy E. Niven

5 School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, BN1 9QG UK

6 Primary Care and Public Health, Brighton and Sussex Medical School and School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, BN1 9PH UK

Associated Data

The datasets used and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Data from studies with undergraduate and postgraduate taught students suggest that they are at an increased risk of having mental health problems, compared to the general population. By contrast, the literature on doctoral researchers (DRs) is far more disparate and unclear. There is a need to bring together current findings and identify what questions still need to be answered.

We conducted a mixed methods systematic review to summarise the research on doctoral researchers’ (DRs) mental health. Our search revealed 52 articles that were included in this review.

The results of our meta-analysis found that DRs reported significantly higher stress levels compared with population norm data. Using meta-analyses and meta-synthesis techniques, we found the risk factors with the strongest evidence base were isolation and identifying as female. Social support, viewing the PhD as a process, a positive student-supervisor relationship and engaging in self-care were the most well-established protective factors.

Conclusions

We have identified a critical need for researchers to better coordinate data collection to aid future reviews and allow for clinically meaningful conclusions to be drawn.

Systematic review registration

PROSPERO registration CRD42018092867

Student mental health has become a regular feature across media outlets in the United Kingdom (UK), with frequent warnings in the media that the sector is facing a ‘mental health crisis’ [ 1 ]. These claims are largely based on the work of regulatory authorities and ‘grey’ literature. Such sources corroborate an increase in the prevalence of mental health difficulties amongst students. In 2013, 1 in 5 students reported having a mental health problem [ 2 ]. Only 3 years later, however, this figure increased to 1 in 4 [ 3 ]. In real terms, this equates to 21,435 students disclosing mental health problems in 2013 rising to 49,265 in 2017 [ 4 ]. Data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) demonstrates a 210% increase in the number of students terminating their studies reportedly due to poor mental health [ 5 ], while the number of students dying by suicide has consistently increased in the past decade [ 6 ].

This issue is not isolated to the UK. In the United States (US), the prevalence of student mental health problems and use of counselling services has steadily risen over the past 6 years [ 7 ]. A large international survey of more than 14,000 students across 8 countries (Australia, Belgium, Germany, Mexico, Northern Ireland, South Africa, Spain and the United States) found that 35% of students met the diagnostic criteria for at least one common mental health condition, with highest rates found in Australia and Germany [ 8 ].

The above figures all pertain to undergraduate students. Finding equivalent information for postgraduate students is more difficult, and where available tends to combine data for postgraduate taught students and doctoral researchers (DRs; also known as PhD students or postgraduate researchers) (e.g. [ 4 ]). The latest trend analysis based on data from 36 countries suggests that approximately 2.3% of people will enrol in a PhD programme during their lifetime [ 9 ]. The countries with the highest number of DRs are the US, Germany and the UK [ 10 ]. At present, there are more than 281,360 DRs currently registered across these three countries alone [ 11 , 12 ], making them a significant part of the university population. The aim of this systematic review is to bring attention specifically to the mental health of DRs by summarising the available evidence on this issue.

Using a mixed methods approach, including meta-analysis and meta-synthesis, this review seeks to answer three research questions: (1) What is the prevalence of mental health difficulties amongst DRs? (2) What are the risk factors associated with poor mental health in DRs? And (3) what are the protective factors associated with good mental health in DRs?

Literature search

We conducted a search of the titles and abstracts of all article types within the following databases: AMED, BNI, CINAHL, Embase, HBE, HMIC, Medline, PsycInfo, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science. The same search terms were used within all of the databases, and the search was completed on the 13th April 2018. Our search terms were selected to capture the variable terms used to describe DRs, as well as the terms used to describe mental health, mental health problems and related constructs. We also reviewed the reference lists of all the papers included in this review. Full details of the search strategy are provided in the supplementary material .

Inclusion criteria

Articles meeting the following criteria were considered eligible for inclusion: (1) the full text was available in English; (2) the article presented empirical data; (3) all study participants, or a clearly delineated sub-set, were studying at the doctoral level for a research degree (DRs or equivalent); and (4) the data collected related to mental health constructs. The last of these criteria was operationalised (a) for quantitative studies as having at least one mental health-related outcome measure, and (b) for qualitative studies as having a discussion guide that included questions related to mental health. We included university-published theses and dissertations as these are subjected to a minimum level of peer-review by examiners.

Exclusion criteria

In order to reduce heterogeneity and focus the review on doctoral research as opposed to practice-based training, we excluded articles where participants were studying at the doctoral level, but their training did not focus on research (e.g. PsyD doctorate in Clinical Psychology).

Screening articles

Papers were screened by one of the present authors at the level of title, then abstract, and finally at full text (Fig. ​ (Fig.1). 1 ). Duplicates were removed after screening at abstract. At each level of screening, a random 20% sub-set of articles were double screened by another author, and levels of agreement were calculated (Cohen’s kappa [ 13 ]). Where disagreements occurred between authors, a third author was consulted to decide whether the paper should or should not be included. All kappa values evidence at least moderate agreement between authors [ 14 ]—see Fig. ​ Fig.1 1 for exact kappa values.

PRISMA diagram of literature review process

Data extraction

This review reports on both quantitative and qualitative findings, and separate extraction methods were used for each. Data extraction was performed by authors CH, CB, SV and LC.

Quantitative data extraction

The articles in this review used varying methods and measures. To accommodate this heterogeneity, multiple approaches were used to extract quantitative data. Where available, we extracted (a) descriptive statistics, (b) correlations and (c) a list of key findings. For all mental health outcome measures, we extracted the means and standard deviations for the DR participants, and where available for the control group (descriptive statistics). For studies utilising a within-subjects study design, we extracted data where a mental health outcome measure was correlated with another construct (correlations). Finally, to ensure that we did not lose important findings that did not use descriptive statistics or correlations, we extracted the key findings from the results sections of each paper (list of key findings). Key findings were identified as any type of statistical analysis that included at least one mental health outcome.

Qualitative data extraction

In line with the meta-ethnographic method [ 15 ] and our interest in the empirical data as well as the authors’ interpretations thereof, i.e. the findings of each article [ 16 ], the data extracted from the articles comprised both results/findings and discussion/conclusion sections. For articles reporting qualitative findings, we extracted the results and discussion sections from articles verbatim. Where articles used mixed methods, only the qualitative section of the results was extracted. Methodological and setting details from each article were also extracted and provided (see Appendix A) in order to contextualise the studies.

Data analysis

Quantitative data analysis, descriptive statistics.

We present frequencies and percentages of the constructs measured, the tools used and whether basic descriptive statistics ( M and SD ) were reported. The full data file is available from the first author upon request.

Effect sizes

Where studies had a control group, we calculated a between-group effect size (Cohen’s d ) using the formula reported by Wilson [ 17 ], and interpreted using the standard criteria [ 13 ]. For all other studies, we sought to compare results with normative data where the following criteria were satisfied: (a) at least three studies reported data using the same mental health assessment tool; (b) empirical normative data were available; and (c) the scale mean/total had been calculated following original authors’ instructions. Only the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) 10- [ 18 ] and 14-item versions [ 19 ] met these criteria. Normative data were available from a sample of adults living in the United States: collected in 2009 for the 10-item version ( n = 2000; M = 15.21; SD = 7.28) [ 20 ] and in 1983 for the 14-item version ( n = 2355; M = 19.62; SD = 7.49) [ 18 ].

The meta-analysis of PSS data was conducted using MedCalc [ 21 ], and based on a random effects model, as recommended by [ 22 ]. The between-group effect sizes (DRs versus US norms) were calculated comparing PSS means and standard deviations in the respective groups. The effect sizes were weighted using the variable variances [ 23 ].

Correlations

Where at least three studies reported data reflecting a bivariate association between a mental health and another variable, we summarised this data into a meta-analysis using the reported r coefficients and sample sizes. Again, we used MedCalc [ 21 ] to conduct the analysis using a random effects model, based on the procedure outlined by Borenstein, Hedges, Higgins and Rothstein [ 24 ]. This analysis approach involves converting correlation coefficients into Fisher’s z values [ 25 ], calculating the summary of Fisher’s z , and then converting this to a summary correlation coefficient ( r ). The effect sizes were weighted in line with the Hedges and Ollkin [ 23 ] method. Heterogeneity was assessed using the Q statistic, and I 2 value—both were interpreted according to the GRADE criteria [ 26 ]. Where correlations could not be summarised within a meta-analysis, we have reported these descriptively.

Due to the heterogenous nature of the studies, the above methods could not capture all of the quantitative data. Therefore, additional data (e.g. frequencies, statistical tests) reported in the identified articles was collated into a single document, coded as relating to prevalence, risk or protective factors and reported as a narrative review.

Qualitative data analysis

We used thematic analytic methods to analyse the qualitative data. We followed the thematic synthesis method [ 16 , 27 ] and were informed by a thematic analysis approach [ 28 , 29 ]. We took a critical realist epistemological stance [ 30 , 31 ] and aimed to bring together an analysis reflecting meaningful patterns amongst the data [ 29 ] or demi-regularities, and identifying potential social mechanisms that might influence the experience of such phenomena [ 31 ]. The focus of the meta-synthesis is interpretative rather than aggregative [ 32 ].

Coding was line by line, open and complete. Following line-by-line coding of all articles, a thematic map was created. Codes were entered on an article-by-article basis and then grouped and re-grouped into meaningful patterns. Comparisons were made across studies to attempt to identify demi-regularities or patterns and contradictions or points of departure. The thematic map was reviewed in consultation with other authors to inductively create and refine themes. Thematic summaries were created and brought together into a first draft of the thematic structure. At this point, each theme was compared against the line-by-line codes and the original articles in order to check its fit and to populate the written account with illustrative quotations.

Research rigour

The qualitative analysis was informed by independent coding by authors CB and SV, and analytic discussions with CH, SV and LC. Our objective was not to capture or achieve inter-rater reliability, rather the analysis was strengthened through involvement of authors from diverse backgrounds including past and recent PhD completion, experiences of mental health problems during PhD completion, PhD supervision experience, experience as employees in a UK university doctoral school and different nationalities. In order to enhance reflexivity, CB used a journal throughout the analytic process to help notice and bracket personal reflections on the data and the ways in which these personal reflections might impact on the interpretation [ 29 , 33 ]. The ENTREQ checklist [ 34 ] was consulted in the preparation of this report to improve the quality of reporting.

Quality assessment

Quantitative data.

The quality of the quantitative papers was assessed using the STROBE combined checklist [ 35 ]. A random 20% sub-sample of these studies were double-coded and inter-rater agreement was 0.70, indicating ‘substantial’ agreement [ 14 ]. The maximum possible quality score was 23, with a higher score indicating greater quality, with the mean average of 15.97, and a range from 0 to 22. The most frequently low-scoring criteria were incomplete reporting regarding the management of missing data, and lack of reported efforts to address potential causes of bias.

Qualitative data

There appeared to be no discernible pattern in the perceived quality of studies; the highest [ 36 – 40 ] and lowest scoring [ 41 – 46 ] studies reflected both theses and journal publications, a variety of locations and settings and different methodologies. The most frequent low-scoring criteria were relating to the authors’ positions and reflections thereof (i.e. ‘Qualitative approach and research paradigm’, ‘Researcher characteristics and reflexivity’, ‘Techniques to enhance trustworthiness’, ‘Limitations’, ‘Conflict of interest and Funding’). Discussions of ethical issues and approval processes was also frequently absent. We identified that we foregrounded higher quality studies in our synthesis in that these studies appeared to have greater contributions reflected in the shape and content of the themes developed and were more likely to be the sources of the selected illustrative quotes.

Mixed methods approach

The goal of this review is to answer the review questions by synthesising the findings from both quantitative and/or qualitative studies. To achieve our goal, we adopted an integrated approach [ 47 ], whereby we used both quantitative and qualitative methods to answer the same review question, and draw a synthesised conclusion. Different analysis approaches were used for the quantitative and qualitative data and are therefore initially reported separately within the methods. A separate synthesised summary of the findings is then provided.

Overview of literature

Of the 52 papers included in this review (Table ​ (Table1), 1 ), 7 were qualitative, 29 were quantitative and 16 mixed methods. Most articles (35) were peer-reviewed papers, and the minority were theses (17). Only four of the articles included a control group; in three instances comprising students (but not DRs) and in the other drawn from the general population.

List of studies included in this review

M and SD rounded to whole figures; D dissertation, P peer reviewed paper, N / A not applicable, – = not reported, USA United Stated of America, UK United Kingdom; *Study used mixed methods, but only qualitative data were used in this review as quantitative data did not pertain to mental health

Quantitative results

Thirty-five papers reported quantitative data, providing 52 reported sets of mental health related data (an average of 1.49 measures per study): 24 (68.57%) measured stress, 10 (28.57%) anxiety, 9 (25.71%) general wellbeing, 5 (14.29%) social support, 3 (8.57%) depression and 1 (2.86%) self-esteem. Five studies (9.62%) used an unvalidated scale created for the purposes of the study. Fifteen studies (28.85%) did not report descriptive statistics.

Of the four studies that included a control group, only two of these reported descriptive statistics for both groups on a mental health outcome [ 66 , 69 ]. There is a small (Cohen’s d = 0.27) and large between-group effect (Cohen’s d = 1.15) when DRs were compared to undergraduate and postgraduate clinical psychology students respectively in terms of self-reported stress.

The meta-analysis of DR scores on the PSS (both 10- and 14-item versions) compared to population normative data produced a large and significant between-group effect size ( d = 1.12, 95% CI [0.52, 1.73]) in favour of DRs scoring higher on the PSS than the general population (Fig. ​ (Fig.2), 2 ), suggesting DRs experience significantly elevated stress. However, these findings should be interpreted in light of the significant between-study heterogeneity that can be classified as ‘considerable’ [ 26 ].

A meta-analysis of between-group effect sizes (Cohen’s d ) comparing PSS scores (both 10- and 14-item versions) from DRs and normative population data. *Studies using the 14 item version of the PSS; a positive effect size indicates DRs had a higher score on the PSS; a negative effect size indicates that the normative data produced a higher score on the PSS; black diamond = total effect size (based on random effects model); d = Cohen’s d ; Q = heterogeneity; Z = z score; I 2 = proportion of variance due to between-study heterogeneity; p = exact p value

To explore this heterogeneity, we re-ran the meta-analysis separately for the 10- and 14-item versions. The effect size remained large and significant when looking only at the studies using the 14-item version ( k = 6; d = 1.41, 95% CI [0.63, 2.19]), but was reduced and no longer significant when looking at the 10-item version only ( k = 3; d = 0.57, 95% CI [− 0.51, 1.64]). However, both effect sizes were still marred by significant heterogeneity between studies (10-item: Q = 232.02, p < .001; 14-item: Q = 356.76, p < .001).

Studies reported sufficient correlations for two separate meta-analyses; the first assessing the relationship between stress (PSS [ 18 , 19 ]) and perceived support, and the second between stress (PSS) and academic performance.

Stress x support

We included all measures related to support irrespective of whom that support came from (e.g. partner support, peer support, mentor support). The overall effect size suggests a small and significant negative correlation between stress and support ( r = − .24, 95% CI [− 0.34, − 0.13]) (see Fig. ​ Fig.3), 3 ), meaning that low support is associated with greater perceived stress. However, the results should be interpreted in light of the significant heterogeneity between studies. The I 2 value quantifies this heterogeneity as almost 90% of the variance being explained by between-study heterogeneity, which is classified as ‘substantial’ (26).

Forest plot and meta-analysis of correlation coefficients testing the relationship between stress and perceived support. Black diamond = total effect size (based on random effects model); r = Pearson’s r ; Q = heterogeneity; Z = z score; I 2 = proportion of variance due to between-study heterogeneity; p = exact p value

Stress x performance

The overall effect size suggests that there is no relationship between stress and performance in their studies ( r = − .07, 95% CI [− 0.19, 0.05]) (see Fig. ​ Fig.4), 4 ), meaning that DRs perception of their progress was not associated with their perceived stress This finding suggests that the amount of progress that DRs were making during their studies was not associated with stress levels.

Forest plot and meta-analysis of correlation coefficients testing the relationship between stress and performance. Black diamond = total effect size (based on random effects model); r = Pearson’s r ; Q = heterogeneity; Z = z score; I 2 = proportion of variance due to between-study heterogeneity; p = exact p value

Other correlations

Correlations reported in less than three studies are summarised in Fig. ​ Fig.5. 5 . Again, stress was the most commonly tested mental health variable. Self-care and positive feelings towards the thesis were consistently found to negatively correlate with mental health constructs. Negative writing habits (e.g. perfectionism, blocks and procrastination) were consistently found to positively correlate with mental health constructs. The strongest correlations were found between stress, and health related quality of life ( r = − .62) or neuroticism ( r = .59), meaning that lower stress was associated with greater quality of life and reduced neuroticism. The weakest relationships ( r < .10) were found between mental health outcomes and: faculty concern, writing as knowledge transformation, innate writing ability (stress and anxiety), years married, locus of control, number of children and openness (stress only).

Correlation coefficients testing the relationship between a mental health outcome and other construct. Correlation coefficients are given in brackets ( r ); * p < .05; each correlation coefficient reflects the results from a single study

Several studies reported DR mental health problem prevalence and this ranged from 36.30% [ 54 ] to 55.9% [ 67 ]. Using clinical cut-offs, 32% were experiencing a common psychiatric disorder [ 64 ]; with another study finding that 53.7% met the questionnaire cut-off criteria for depression, and 41.9% for anxiety [ 67 ]. One study compared prevalence amongst DRs and the general population, employees and other higher education students; in all instances, DRs had higher levels of psychological distress (non-clinical), and met criteria for a clinical psychiatric disorder more frequently [ 64 ].

Risk factors

Demographics Two studies reported no significant difference between males and females in terms of reported stress [ 57 , 73 ], but the majority suggested female DRs report greater clinical [ 80 ], and non-clinical problems with their mental health [ 37 , 64 , 79 , 83 , 89 ].

Several studies explored how mental health difficulties differed in relation to demographic variables other than gender, suggesting that being single or not having children was associated with poorer mental health [ 64 ] as was a lower socioeconomic status [ 71 ]. One study found that mental health difficulties did not differ depending on DRs’ ethnicity [ 51 ], but another found that Black students attending ‘historically Black universities’ were significantly more anxious [ 87 ]. The majority of the studies were conducted in the US, but only one study tested for cross-cultural differences: reporting that DRs in France were more psychologically distressed than those studying in the UK [ 67 ].

Work-life balance Year of study did not appear to be associated with greater subjective stress in a study involving clinical psychology DRs (Platt and Schaefer [ 75 ]), although other studies suggested greater stress reported by those in the latter part of their studies [ 89 ], who viewed their studies as a burden [ 81 ], or had external contracts, i.e. not employed by their university [ 85 ]. Regression analyses revealed that a common predictor of poor mental health was uncertainty in DR studies; whether in relation to uncertain funding [ 64 ] or uncertain progress [ 80 ]. More than two-thirds of DRs reported general academic pressure as a cause of stress, and a lack of time as preventing them from looking after themselves [ 58 ]. Being isolated was also a strong predictor of stress [ 84 ].

Protective factors

DRs who more strongly endorsed all of the five-factor personality traits (openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism) [ 66 ], self-reported higher academic achievement [ 40 ] and viewed their studies as a learning process (rather than a means to an end) [ 82 ] reported fewer mental health problems. DRs were able to mitigate poor mental health by engaging in self-care [ 72 ], having a supervisor with an inspirational leadership style [ 64 ] and building coping strategies [ 56 ]. The most frequently reported coping strategy was seeking support from other people [ 37 , 58 ].

Qualitative results

Meta-synthesis.

Four higher-order themes were identified: (1) Always alone in the struggle, (2) Death of personhood, (3) The system is sick and (4) Seeing, being and becoming. The first two themes reflect individual risk/vulnerability factors and the processes implicated in the experience of mental distress, the third represents systemic risk and vulnerability factors and the final theme reflects individual and systemic protective mechanisms and transformative influences. See Table ​ Table2 2 for details of the full thematic structure with illustrative quotes.

Thematic structure with illustrative quotes

Always alone in the struggle

‘Always alone in the struggle’ reflects the isolated nature of the PhD experience. Two subthemes reflect different aspects of being alone; ‘Invisible, isolated and abandoned’ represents DRs’ sense of physical and psychological separation from others and ‘It’s not you, it’s me’ represents DRs’ sense of being solely responsible for their PhD process and experience.

Invisible, isolated and abandoned

Feeling invisible and isolated both within and outside of the academic environment appears a core DR experience [ 39 , 43 , 81 ]. Isolation from academic peers seemed especially salient for DRs with less of a physical presence on campus, e.g. part-time and distance students, those engaging in extensive fieldwork, outside employment and those with no peer research or lab group [ 36 , 52 , 68 ]. Where DRs reported relationships with DR peers, these were characterised as low quality or ‘not proper friendships’ and this appeared linked to a sense of essential and obvious competition amongst DRs with respect to current and future resources, support and opportunities [ 39 ], in which a minority of individuals were seen to receive the majority share [ 36 , 74 ]. Intimate sharing with peers thus appeared to feel unsafe. This reflected the competitive environment but also a sense of peer relationships being predicated on too shared an experience [ 39 ].

In addition to poor peer relations, a mismatch between the expected and observed depth of supervisor interest, engagement and was evident [ 40 , 81 ]. This mismatch was clearly associated with disappointment and anger, and a sense of abandonment, which appeared to impact negatively on DR mental health and wellbeing [ 42 ] (p. 182). Moreover, DRs perceived academic departments as complicit in their isolation; failing to offer adequate opportunities for academic and social belonging and connections [ 42 , 81 ] and including PGRs only in a fleeting or ‘hollow’ sense [ 37 ]. DRs identified this isolation as sending a broader message about academia as a solitary and unsupported pursuit; a message that could lead some DRs to self-select out of planning for future in academia [ 37 , 42 ]. DRs appeared to make sense of their lack of belonging in their department as related to their sense of being different, and that this difference might suggest they did not ‘fit in’ with academia more broadly [ 74 ]. In the short-term, DRs might expend more effort to try and achieve a social and/or professional connection and equitable access to support, opportunities and resources [ 74 ]. However, over the longer-term, the continuing perception of being professionally ‘other’ also seemed to undermine DRs’ sense of meaning and purpose [ 81 ] and could lead to opting out of an academic career [ 62 , 74 ].

Isolation within the PhD was compounded by isolation from one’s personal relationships. This personal isolation was first physical, in which the laborious nature of the PhD acted as a catalyst for the breakdown of pre-existing relationships [ 76 ]. Moreover, DRs also experienced a sense of psychological detachment [ 45 , 74 ]. Thus, the experience of isolation appeared to be extremely pervasive, with DRs feeling excluded and isolated physically and psychologically and across both their professional and personal lives.

It’s not you, it’s me

‘It’s not you, it’s me’ reflects DRs’ perfectionism as a central challenge of their PhD experience and a contributor to their sense of psychological isolation from other people. DRs’ perfectionism manifested in four key ways; firstly, in the overwhelming sense of responsibility experienced by DRs; secondly, in the tendency to position themselves as inadequate and inferior; thirdly, in cycles of perfectionist paralysis; and finally, in the tendency to find evidence which confirms their assumed inferiority.

DRs positioned themselves as solely responsible for their PhD and for the creation of a positive relationship with their supervisor [ 36 , 52 , 81 ]. DRs expressed a perceived need to capture their supervisors’ interest and attention [ 36 , 52 , 74 ], feeling that they needed to identify and sell to their supervisors some shared characteristic or interest in order to scaffold a meaningful relationship. DRs appeared to feel it necessary to assume sole responsibility for their personal lives and to prohibit any intrusion of the personal in to the professional, even in incredibly distressing circumstances [ 42 ].

DRs appeared to compare themselves against an ideal or archetypal DR and this comparison was typically unfavourable [ 37 ], with DRs contrasting the expected ideal self with their actual imperfect and fallible self [ 37 , 42 , 52 ]. DRs’ sense of inadequacy appeared acutely and frequently reflected back to them by supervisors in the form of negative or seemingly disdainful feedback and interactions [ 41 , 76 ]. DRs framed negative supervisor responses as a cue to work harder, meaning they were continually striving, but never reaching, the DR ideal [ 76 ]. This ideal-actual self-discrepancy was associated with a tendency towards punitive self-talk with clear negative valence [ 38 ].

DRs appear to commonly use self-castigation as a necessary (albeit insufficient) means to motivate themselves to improve their performance in line with perfectionistic standards [ 38 , 41 ]. The oscillation between expectation and actuality ultimately resulted in increased stress and anxiety and reduced enjoyment and motivation. Low motivation and enjoyment appeared to cause procrastination and avoidance, which lead to a greater discrepancy between the ideal and actual self; in turn, this caused more stress and anxiety and further reduced enjoyment and motivation leading to a sense of stuckness [ 76 ].

The internalisation of perceived failure was such that DRs appeared to make sense of their place, progress and possible futures through a lens of inferiority, for example, positioning themselves as less talented and successful compared to their peers [ 37 ]. Thus, instances such as not being offered a job, not receiving funding, not feeling connected to supervisors, feeling excluded by academics and peers were all made sense of in relation to DRs’ perceived relative inadequacy [ 36 ].

Death of personhood

The higher-order theme ‘Death of personhood’ reflects DRs’ identity conflict during the PhD process; a sense that DRs’ engage in a ‘Sacrifice of personal identity’ in which they feel they must give up their pre-existing self-identity, begin to conceive of themselves as purely ‘takers’ personally and professionally, thus experiencing the ‘Self as parasitic’, and ultimately experience a ‘Death of self-agency’ in relation to the thesis, the supervisor and other life roles and activities.

A sacrifice of personal identity

The sacrifice of personal identity first manifests as an enmeshment with the PhD and consequent diminishment of other roles, relationships and activities that once were integral to the DRs’ sense of self [ 59 , 76 ]. DRs tended to prioritise PhD activities to the extent that they engaged in behaviours that were potentially damaging to their personal relationships [ 76 ]. DRs reported a sense of never being truly free; almost physically burdened by the weight of their PhD and carrying with them a constant ambient guilt [ 37 , 38 , 44 , 76 ]. Time spent on non-PhD activities was positioned as selfish or indulgent, even very basic activities of living [ 76 ].

The seeming incompatibility of aspects of prior personal identity and the PhD appears to result in a sense of internal conflict or identity ‘collision’ [ 59 ]. Friends and relatives often provided an uncomfortable reflection of the DR’s changing identity, leaving DRs feeling hyper-visible and carrying the burden of intellect or trailblazer status [ 74 ]; providing further evidence for the incompatibility of their personal and current and future professional identities. Some DRs more purposefully pruned their relationships and social activities; to avoid identity dissonance, to conserve precious time and energy for their PhD work, or as an acceptance of total enmeshment with academic work as necessary (although not necessarily sufficient) for successful continuation in academia [ 40 , 52 , 77 ]. Nevertheless, the diminishment of the personal identity did not appear balanced by the development of a positive professional identity. The professional DR identity was perceived as unclear and confusing, and the adoption of an academic identity appeared to require DRs to have a greater degree of self-assurance or self-belief than was often the case [ 37 , 81 ].

Self as parasitic

Another change in identity manifested as DRs beginning to conceive of themselves as parasitic. DRs spoke of becoming ‘takers’, feeling that they were unable to provide or give anything to anyone. For some DRs, being ‘parasitic’ reflected them being on the bottom rung of the professional ladder or the ‘bottom of the pile’; thus, professionally only able to receive support and assistance rather than to provide for others. Other DRs reported more purposefully withdrawing from activities in which they were a ‘giver’, for example voluntary work, as providing or caring for others required time or energy that they no longer had [ 38 , 44 ]. Furthermore, DRs appeared to conceive of themselves as also causing difficulty or harm to others [ 81 ], as problems in relation to their PhD could lead them to unwillingly punishing close others, for example, through reducing the duration or quality of time spent together [ 38 ].

Feeling that close others were offering support appeared to heighten the awareness of the toll of the PhD on the individual and their close relationships, emphasising the huge undertaking and the often seemingly slow progress, and actually contributing to the sense of ambient guilt, shame, anger and failure [ 38 ]. Moreover, DRs spoke of feeling extreme guilt in perceiving that they had possibly sacrificed their own, and possibly family members’, current wellbeing and future financial security [ 49 ].

Death of self-agency

In addition to their sense of having to sacrifice their personal identity, DRs also expressed a loss of their sense of themselves as agentic beings. DRs expressed feeling powerless in various domains of their lives. First, DRs positioned the thesis as a powerful force able to overwhelm or swallow them [ 46 , 52 , 59 ]. Secondly, DRs expressed a sense of futility in trying to retain any sense of personal power in the climate of academia. An acute feeling of powerlessness especially in relation to supervisors was evident, with many examples provided of being treated as means to an end, as opposed to ends in themselves [ 39 , 42 , 62 ]. Supervisors did not interact with DRs in a holistic way that recognised their personhood and instead were perceived as prioritising their own will, or the will of other academics, above that of the DR [ 39 , 62 ].

Furthermore, DRs reported feeling as if they were used as a means for research production or furthering their supervisors’ reputations or careers [ 62 ]. DRs perceived that holding on to a sense of personal agency sometimes felt incompatible with having a positive supervisor relationship [ 42 ]. Thus whilst emotional distress, anger, disappointment, sadness, jealousy and resentment were clearly evident in relation to feeling excluded, used or over-powered by supervisors [ 37 , 42 , 52 , 62 ], DRs usually felt unable to change supervisor irrespective of how seriously this relationship had degraded [ 37 , 62 ]. Instead, DRs appeared to take on a position of resignation or defensive pessimism, in which they perceived their supervisors as thwarting their personhood, personal goals and preferences, but typically felt compelled to accept this as the status quo and focus on finishing their PhDs [ 42 ]. DRs resignation was such that they internalised this culture of silence and silenced themselves; tending to share litanies of problems with supervisors whilst prefacing or ending the statements with some contradictory or undermining phrase such as ‘but that’s okay’ [ 42 , 52 ].

The apparent lack of self-agency extended outward from the PhD into DRs not feeling able to curate positive life circumstances more generally [ 76 ]. A lack of time was perhaps the key struggle across both personal and professional domains, yet DRs paradoxically reported spending a lot of time procrastinating and rarely (if ever) mentioned time management as a necessary or desired coping strategy for the problem of having too little time [ 46 ]. The lack of self-agency was not only current but also felt in reference to a bleak and uncertain future; DRs lack of surety in a future in academia and the resultant sense of futility further undermined their motivation to engage currently with PhD tasks [ 38 , 40 ].

The system is sick

The higher-order theme ‘The system is sick’ represents systemic influences on DR mental health. First, ‘Most everyone’s mad here’ reflects the perceived ubiquity mental health problems amongst DRs. ‘Emperor’s new clothes’ reflects the DR experience of engaging in a performative piece in which they attempt to live in accordance with systemic rather than personal values. Finally, ‘Beware the invisible and visible walls’ reflects concerns with being caught between ephemeral but very real institutional divides.

Most everyone’s mad here

No studies focused explicitly on experiences of DRs who had been given diagnoses of mental health problems. Some study participants self-disclosed mental health problems and emphasised their pervasive impact [ 50 ]. Further lived experiences of mental distress in the absence of explicit disclosure were also clearly identifiable. The ‘typical’ presentation of DRs with respect to mental health appeared characterised as almost unanimous [ 39 ] accounts of chronic stress, anxiety and depression, emotional distress including frustration, anger and irritability, lack of mental and physical energy, somatic problems including appetite problems, headaches, physical pain, nausea and problems with drug and alcohol abuse [ 39 , 46 , 59 , 76 ]. Health anxiety, concerns regarding perceived new and unusual bodily sensations and perceived risks of developing stress-related illnesses were also common [ 46 , 59 , 76 ]. A PhD-specific numbness and hypervigilance was also reported, in which DRs might be less responsive to personal life stressors but develop an extreme sensitivity and reactivity to PhD-relevant stimuli [ 39 ].

An interplay of trait and state factors were suggested to underlie the perceived ubiquity of mental health problems amongst DRs. Etiological factors associated with undertaking a PhD specifically included the high workload, high academic standards, competing personal and professional demands, social isolation, poor resources in the university, poor living conditions and poverty, future and career uncertainty [ 36 , 41 , 43 , 46 , 49 , 76 ]. The ‘nexus’ of these factors was such that the PhD itself acted as a crucible; a process of such intensity that developing mental health problems was perhaps inevitable [ 39 ].

The perceived inevitability of mental health problems was such that DRs described people who did not experience mental health problems during a PhD as ‘lucky’ [ 39 ]. Supervisors and the wider academic system were seen to promote an expectation of suffering, for example, with academics reportedly normalising drug and alcohol problems and encouraging unhealthy working practices [ 39 ]. Furthermore, DRs felt that academics were uncaring with respect to the mental challenge of doing a PhD [ 39 ]. Nevertheless, academics were suggested to deny any culpability or accountability for mental health problems amongst DRs [ 39 , 59 , 74 ]. The cycle of indigenousness was further maintained by a lack of mental health literacy and issues with awareness, availability and access to help-seeking and treatment options amongst DRs and academics more widely [ 39 ]. Thus, DRs appeared to feel they were being let down by a system that was almost set up to cause mental distress, but within which there was a widespread denial of the size and scope of the problem and little effort put into identifying and providing solutions [ 39 , 59 ]. DRs ultimately felt that the systemic encouragement of unhealthy lifestyles in pursuit of academic success was tantamount to abuse [ 62 ].

A performance of optimum suffering

Against a backdrop of expected mental distress, DRs expressed their PhD as a performative piece. DRs first had to show just the right amount of struggle and difficulty; feeling that if they did not exhibit enough stress, distress and ill-health, their supervisors or the wider department might not believe they were taking their PhD seriously enough [ 40 ]. At the same time, DRs felt that their ‘researcher mettle’ was constantly being tested and they must rise to this challenge. This included first guarding against presenting oneself as intellectually inferior [ 36 ]. Yet it also seemed imperative not to show vulnerability more broadly [ 74 ]. Disclosing mental or physical health problems might lead not only to changed perceptions of the DR but to material disadvantage [ 74 ]. The poor response to mental health disclosures suggested to some DRs that universities might be purposefully trying to dissuade or discourage DRs with mental health problems or learning disabilities from continuing [ 74 ]. The performative piece is thus multi-layered, in that DRs must experience extreme internal psychological struggles, exhibit some lower-level signs of stress and fatigue for peer and faculty observance, yet avoid expressing any real academic or interpersonal weakness or the disclosure of any diagnosable disability or disease.

Emperor’s new clothes

DRs described feeling beholden to the prevailing culture in which it was expected to prioritise above all else developing into a competitive, self-promoting researcher in a high-performing research-active institution [ 39 , 42 ]. Supervisors often appeared the conduit for transmission of this academic ideal [ 74 ]. DRs felt reticent to act in any way which suggested that they did not personally value the pursuit of a leading research career above all else. For example, DRs felt that valuing teaching was non-conformist and could endanger their continuing success within their current institution [ 55 ]. Many DRs thus exhibited a sense of dissonance as their personal values often did not align with the institutional values they identified [ 74 ]. Yet DRs expressed a sense of powerlessness and a feeling of being ‘caught up’ in the values of the institution even when such values were personally incongruent [ 74 ]. The psychological toll of this sense of inauthenticity seemed high [ 55 ]. Where DRs acted in ways which ostensibly suggested values other than prioritising a research career, for example becoming pregnant, they sensed disapproval [ 76 ]. DRs also felt unable to challenge other ‘institutional myths’ for example, the perceived institutional denial of the duration of and financial struggle involved in completing a PhD [ 49 ]. There was a perceived tendency of academics to locate problems within DRs as opposed to acknowledging institutional or systemic inequalities [ 49 ]. DRs expressed strongly a sense in which there is inequity in support, resources and opportunities, yet universities were perceived as ignoring such inequity or labelling such divisions as based on meritocracy [ 36 , 74 ].

Beware the invisible and visible walls

DRs described the reality of working in academia as needing to negotiate a maze of invisible and visible walls. In the former case, ‘invisible walls’ reflect ephemeral norms and rules that govern academia. DRs felt that a big part of their continuing success rested upon being able to negotiate such rules [ 39 ]. Where rules were violated and explicit or implicit conflicts occurred, DRs were seen to be vulnerable to being caught in the ‘crossfire’ [ 36 ]. DRs identified academic groups and departments as being poor in explicitly identifying, discussing and resolving conflicts [ 37 ]. The intangibility of the ‘invisible walls’ gave rise to a sense of ambient anxiety about inadvertently transgressing norms and divides, such that some DRs reported behaving in ways that surprised even themselves [ 37 ].

Gendered and racial micropolitics of academic institutions were seen to manifest as more visible walls between people, with institutions privileging those with ‘insider’ status [ 36 ]. Women and people of colour typically felt excluded or disadvantaged in a myriad of observable and unobservable ways, with individuals able to experience both insider and outsider statuses simultaneously [ 36 , 37 ], for example when a male person of colour [ 36 ]. Female DRs suggested that not only must women prove themselves to a greater extent than men to receive equal access to resources, opportunities and acclaim but also are typically under additional pressure in both their professional and personal lives [ 37 , 52 , 76 ]. Women also felt that they had to take on more additional roles and responsibilities and encountered more conflicts in their personal lives compared to men [ 52 ]. Examples of professionally successful women in DRs’ departments were described as those who had crossed the divide and adopted a more traditionally male role [ 40 ]. Thus, being female or non-White were considered visible characteristics that would disadvantage people in the competitive academic environment and could give rise to a feeling of increased stress, pressure, role conflicts, and a feeling of being unsafe.

Seeing, being and becoming

The higher-order theme of ‘Seeing, being and becoming’ reflects protective and transformative influences on DR mental health. ‘De-programming’ refers to the DRs disentangling their personal beliefs and values from systemic values and also from their own tendency towards perfectionism. ‘The power of being seen’ reflects the positive impact on DR mental health afforded by feeling visible to personal and professional others. ‘Finding hope, meaning and authenticity’ refers to processes by which DRs can find or re-locate their own self-agency, purpose and re/establish a sense of living in accordance with their values. ‘The importance of multiple goals, roles and groups’ represents the beneficial aspects of accruing and sustaining multiple aspects to one’s identity and connections with others and activities outside the PhD. Finally, ‘The PhD as a process of transcendence’ reflects how the struggles involved in completing a PhD can be transformative and self-actualising.

De-programming

DRs reported being able to protect their mental health by ‘de-programming’ and disentangling their attitudes and practices from social and systemic values and norms. This disentangling helped negate DRs’ adopting unhealthy working practices and offered some protection against experiencing inauthenticity and dissonance between personal and systemic values.

First, DRs spoke of rejecting the belief that they should sacrifice or neglect personal relationships, outside interests and their self-identity in pursuit of academic achievement. DRs could opt-out entirely by choosing a ‘user-friendly’ programme [ 44 ] which encouraged balance between personal and professional goals, or else could psychologically reject the prevailing institutional discourse [ 40 ]. Rather than halting success, de-programming from the prioritisation of academia above all else was seen to be associated not only with reduced stress but greater confidence, career commitment and motivation [ 40 , 50 ]. It was also suggested possible to ‘de-programme’ in the sense of choosing not to be preoccupied by the ‘invisible walls’ of academia and psychologically ‘opt out’ of being concerned by potential conflicts, norms and rules governing academic workplace conduct [ 36 ]. Interaction with people outside of academia was seen to scaffold de-programming, by helping DRs to stay ‘grounded’ and offering a model what ‘normal’ life looks like. People outside of academia could also help DRs to see the truth by providing unbiased opinions regarding systemic practices [ 39 ].

A further way in which de-programming manifested was in DRs challenging their perfectionist beliefs. This include re-framing the goal as not trying to be the archetype of a perfect DR, and accepting that multiple demands placed on one individual invariably requires compromise [ 40 , 76 ]. DRs spoke of the need to conceptualise the PhD as a process, rather than just a product [ 46 , 82 ]. The process orientation facilitated framing of the PhD as just one-step in the broader process of becoming an academic as opposed to providing discrete evidence of worth [ 82 ]. Within this perspective, uncertainty itself could be conceived as a privilege [ 81 ]. The PhD was then seen as an opportunity rather than a test [ 37 , 46 ]. Moreover, the process orientation facilitated viewing the PhD as a means of growing into a contributing member of the research community, as opposed to needing to prove oneself to be accepted [ 82 ]. Remembering the temporary nature of the PhD was advised [ 45 ] as was holding on to a sense that not completing the PhD was also a viable life choice [ 76 ]. DRs also expressed, implicitly or explicitly, a decision to change their conceptualisation of themselves and their progress; choosing not to perceive themselves as stuck, but planning, learning and progressing [ 38 , 39 , 81 , 82 ]. This new perspective appeared to be helpful in reducing mental distress.

The power of being seen

DRs described powerful benefits to feeling seen by other people, including a sense of belonging and mattering, increased self-confidence and a sense of positive progress [ 37 ]. Being seen by others seems to provoke the genesis of an academic identity; it brings DRs into existence as academics. Being seen within the academic institution also supports mental health and can buffer emotional exhaustion [ 37 , 52 , 55 , 81 ]. DRs expressed a need to feel that supervisors, academics and peers were interested in them as people, their values, goals, struggles and successes; yet they also needed to feel that they and their research mattered and made a difference within and outside of the institution [ 42 , 52 , 81 ]. It was clear that DRs could find in their disciplinary communities the sense of belonging that often eluded them within their immediate departments [ 42 ]. Feeling a sense of belonging to the academic community seemed to buffer disengagement and amotivation during the PhD [ 81 ]. Positive engagement with the broader community was scaffolded by a sense of trust in the supervisor [ 81 ]. DRs often felt seen and supported by postdocs, especially where supervisors appeared absent or unsupportive [ 50 ].

Spending time with peers could be beneficial when there was a sense of shared experience and walking alongside each other [ 39 ]. Friendship was seen to buffer stress and protect against mental health problems through the provision of social and emotional support and help in identifying struggles [ 39 , 43 ]. In addition to relational aspects, the provision of designated physical spaces on campus or in university buildings also seemed important to being seen [ 37 ]. Peers in the university could provide DRs with further physical embodiments of being seen, for example, gift-giving in response to their birthdays or returning from leave [ 37 , 50 ]. Outside of the academic institution, DRs described how being seen by close others could support DRs to be their authentic selves, providing an antidote to the invisible walls of academia [ 50 ]. Good quality friendships within or outside academia could be life-changing, providing a visceral sense of connection, belonging and authenticity that can scaffold positive mental health outcomes during the PhD [ 39 ]. Pets could also serve to help DRs feel seen but without needing to extend too much energy into maintaining social relationships [ 50 ].

Finally, DRs also needed to see themselves, i.e. to begin to see themselves as burgeoning academics as opposed to ‘just students’ [ 81 ]. Feeling that the supervisor and broader academic community were supportive, developing one’s own network of process collaborators and successfully obtaining grant funding seemed tangible markers that helped DRs to see themselves as academics [ 37 , 81 ]. Seeing their own work published was also helpful in providing a boost in confidence and being a joyful experience [ 42 ]. Moreover, with sufficient self-agency, DRs can not only see themselves but render themselves visible to other people [ 37 ].

Multiple goals, roles and groups

In antidote to the diminished personal identity and enmeshment with the PhD, DRs benefitted from accruing and sustaining multiple goals, roles, occupations, activities and social group memberships. Although ‘costly’ in terms of increased stress and role conflicts, sustaining multiple roles and activities appeared essential for protecting against mental health problems [ 50 , 68 ].

Leisure activities appeared to support mental health through promoting physical health, buffering stress, providing an uplift to DRs’ mood and through the provision of another identity other than as an academic [ 44 , 50 , 76 ]. Furthermore, engagement in activities helped DRs to find a sense of freedom, allowing them to carve up leisure and work time and psychologically detach from their PhD [ 68 , 76 ]. Competing roles, especially family, forced DRs to distance themselves from the PhD physically which reinforced psychological separation [ 50 , 59 ]. Engaging in self-care and enjoyable activities provided a sense of balance and normalcy [ 39 , 44 , 68 ]. This normalcy was a needed antidote to abnormal pressure [ 59 ]. Even in the absence of fiercely competing roles and priorities, DRs still appeared to benefit from treating their PhD as if it is only one aspect of life [ 59 ]. Additional roles and activities reduced enmeshment with the PhD to the extent that considering not completing the PhD was less averse [ 40 ]. This position appeared to help DRs to be less overwhelmed and less sensitive to perceived and anticipated failures.

Finding hope, meaning and authenticity

Finding hopefulness and meaning within the PhD can scaffold a sense of living a purposeful, enjoyable, important and authentic life. Hopefulness is predicated on the ability to identify a goal, i.e. to visualise and focus on the desired outcome and to experience both self-agency and potential pathways towards the goal. Hopefulness was enhanced by the ability to break down tasks into smaller goals and progress in to ‘baby steps’ [ 38 , 59 ]. In addition, DRs benefitted from finding explicit milestones against which they can compare their progress [ 59 ], as this appeared to feed back into the cycle of hopeful thinking and spur further self-agency and goal pursuit.

The experience of meaning manifested in two main ways; first as the more immediate lived experience of passion in action [ 76 ]. Secondly, DRs found meaning in feeling that in their PhD and lives more broadly they were living in accordance with their values, for example, experiencing their own commitment in action through continuing to work on their PhD even when it was difficult to do so [ 76 ]. DRs who were able to locate their PhD within a broader sense of purpose appeared to derive wellbeing benefits. There was a need to ensure that values were in alignment, for example, finding homeostasis between emotional, intellectual, social and spiritual parts of the self [ 46 , 59 , 90 ].

The processes of finding hopefulness and meaning appear to be largely relational. Frequent contact with supervisors in person and social and academic contact with other DRs were basic scaffolds for hope and meaning [ 52 ]. DRs spoke of how a sense that their supervisors believed in them inspired their self-agency and motivation [ 42 , 62 , 76 ]. Partners, friends and family could also inspire motivation for continuing in PhD tasks [ 44 , 76 ]. Other people also could help instil a sense of motivation to progress and complete the PhD; a sense of being seen is to be beholden to finish [ 39 ]. Meaning appeared to be scaffolded by a sense of contribution, belonging and mattering [ 81 ] and could arise from the perception of putting something into the collective pot, inspiring hopefulness and helping others [ 39 , 42 ]. Moreover, hopefulness, meaning and authenticity also appeared mutually reinforcing [ 81 ]. Finding meaning and working on a project which is in accordance with personal values, preferences and interests is also helpful in completing the PhD and provides a feedback loop into hope, motivation and agentic thinking [ 39 , 81 ]. Furthermore, DRs could use agentic action to source a community of people who share their values, enabling them to engage in collective authenticity [ 39 ].

The PhD as a process of transcendence

The immense challenge of the PhD could be a catalyst for growth, change and self-actualisation, involving empowerment through knowledge, self-discovery, and developing increased confidence, maturity, capacity for self-direction and use of one’s own autonomy [ 44 , 82 ]. The PhD acted as a forge in which DRs were tested and became remoulded into something greater than they had been before [ 44 , 82 , 90 ]. The struggles endured during the PhD caused DRs to reconsider their sense of their own capacities, believing themselves to be more able than they previously would have thought [ 50 ]. The struggles endured added to the sense of accomplishment. A trusted and trusting supervisor appears to aid in the PhD being a process of transcendence [ 62 ].

More broadly, the PhD also helped DRs to transcend personal tragedy, allowing immersion in a meaningful activity which begins as a means of coping and becomes something completely [ 39 ]. The PhD could also serve as a transformative selection process for DRs’ social relationships, with some relationships cast aside and yet others formed anew [ 39 ]. Overall, therefore, the very aspects of the PhD which were challenging, and distressing could allow DRs to transcend their former selves and, through the struggle, become something more.

Summation of results

The findings regarding the risk and protective factors associated with DR mental health have been summarised in Table ​ Table3 3 in relation to (1) the type of research evidencing the factor (i.e. whether the evidence is quantitative only, part of the meta-synthesis only, or evident in both results sections); and (2) the volume of evidence (i.e. whether the factor was found in a single study or across multiple studies). The factors in the far-right column (i.e. the factors found across multiple research studies utilising both qualitative and quantitative methods) are the ones with the strongest evidence at present.

Risk and protective factors associated with DR mental health in terms of the type and volume of evidence

Single = evidenced in a single study; multiple = evidenced across more than one study

This systematic review summarises a heterogeneous research area, with the aim of understanding the mental health of DRs, including possible risk and protective factors. The qualitative and quantitative findings presented here suggest that poor mental health is a pertinent problem facing DRs; stress appears to be a key issue and significantly in excess of that experienced in the general population. Several risk and protective factors at the individual, interpersonal and systemic levels emerged as being important in determining the mental health of DRs. The factors with the strongest evidence-base (i.e. those supported by multiple studies using qualitative and quantitative findings) denote that being female and isolated increases the risk of the mental health problems, whereas seeing the PhD as a process, feeling socially supported, having a positive supervisor relationship and engaging in self-care is protective.

Results in context

Stress can be defined as (1) the extent to which a stimulus exerts pressure on an individual, and their propensity to bear the load; (2) the duration of the response to an aversive stimuli, from initial alert to exhaustion; or (3) a dynamic (im)balance between the demands and personal resource to manage those demands [ 91 ]. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) [ 18 , 19 ] used in our meta-analysis is aligned with the third of these definitions. As elaborated upon within the Transactional Model of Stress [ 92 ], stress is conceptualised as a persons’ appraisal of the internal and external demands put upon them, and whether these exceed their available resources. Thus, our results suggest that, when compared to the general population, PhD students experience a greater maladaptive imbalance between their available resources and the demands placed upon them. Stress in itself is not a diagnosable mental health problem, yet chronic stress is a common precipitant to mental health difficulties such as depression and posttraumatic stress disorder [ 93 , 94 ]. Therefore, interventions should seek to bolster DRs’ resources and limit demands placed on them to minimise the risks associated with acute stress and limit its chronicity.

Individual factors

Female DRs were identified as being at particular risk of developing mental health difficulties. This may result from additional hurdles when studying in a male-dominated profession [ 95 – 97 ], and the expectation that in addition to their doctoral studies, females should retain sole or majority responsibility for the domestic and/or caring duties within their family [ 52 , 76 ]. It may also be that females are more willing to disclose and seek help for mental health difficulties [ 98 ]. Nevertheless, the World Health Organisation (WHO) mental health survey results indicate that whilst anxiety and mood disorders are more prevalent amongst females, externalising disorders are more common in males [ 99 ]. As the vast majority of studies in this review focussed on internalising problems (e.g. stress, anxiety and depression) [ 37 , 64 , 79 , 80 , 83 , 89 ], this may explain the gender differences found in this review. Further research is needed to explore which perspective, if any, may explain gender gap in our results.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, self-care was associated with reduced mental health problems. The quantitative findings suggest that all types of self-care are likely to be protective of mental health (i.e. physical, emotional, professional and spiritual self-care). Self-care affords DRs the opportunity to take time away from their studies and nurture their non-PhD identities. However, the results from our meta-synthesis suggest that DRs are not attending to their most basic needs much less engaging in self-care behaviours that correspond to psychological and/or self-fulfilment needs [ 100 ]. Consequently, an important area for future enquiry will be identifying the barriers preventing DRs from engaging in self-care.

Interpersonal factors

Across both quantitative and qualitative studies, interpersonal factors emerged as the most salient correlate of DR mental health. That is, isolation was a risk factor, whereas connectedness to others was a protective factor. There was some variability in how these constructs were conceptualised across studies, i.e. (1) isolation: a lack of social support, having fewer social connections, feeling isolated or being physically separate from others; and (2) social connectedness: multiple group membership, academic relationships or non-academic relationships; but there was no indication that effects varied between concepts. The relationship between isolation and negative health consequences is well-established, for example both physical and mental health problems [ 101 ], and even increased mortality [ 102 ]. Conversely, social support is associated with reduced stress in the workplace [ 103 , 104 ]. Reducing isolation is therefore a promising interventional target for improving DRs’ mental health.

The findings regarding isolation are even more alarming when considered alongside the findings from several studies that PhD studies are consistently reported to dominate the lives of DRs, resulting in poor ‘work-life balance’ and losing non-PhD aspects of their identities. The negative impact of having fewer identities [ 105 ] can be mitigated by having a strong support network [ 106 ], and increasing multiple group memberships [ 107 ]. But for DRs, it is perhaps the absence of this social support, combined with identity impoverishment, which can explain the higher than average prevalence of stress found in our meta-analysis.

Systemic factors

DRs’ attitudes towards their studies may be a product of top-down systemic issues in academia more broadly. Experiencing mental health problems was reported as being the ‘norm’, but also appeared to be understood as a sign of weakness. The meta-synthesis results suggest that DRs believed their respective universities prioritise academic success over workplace wellbeing and encourage unhealthy working habits. Working in an unsupportive and pressured environment is strongly associated with negative psychological outcomes, including increased depression, anxiety and burnout [ 108 ]. The supervisory relationship appeared a particularly important aspect of the workplace environment. The quantitative analysis found a negative correlation between inspirational supervision and mental health problems. Meta-synthetic finding suggested toxic DR-supervisor relationships characterised by powerlessness and neglect, as well as relationships where DRs felt valued and respected—the former of these being associated with poor mental health, and the latter being protective. The association between DR-supervisor relationship characteristics needs to be verified using quantitative methods. Furthermore, DRs’ sense that they needed to exhibit ‘optimum suffering’, which appears to reflect a PhD-specific aspect of a broader academic performativity [ 109 ], is an important area for consideration. An accepted narrative around DRs needing to experience a certain level of dis/stress would likely contribute to poor mental health and as an impediment to the uptake and effectiveness of proffered interventions. Although further research is needed, it is apparent that individual interventions alone are not sufficient to improve DR mental health, and that a widespread culture shift is needed in order to prevent the transmission of unhealthy work attitudes and practices.

Limitations of the literature

Although we found a respectable number of articles in this area, the focus and measures used varied to the extent that typical review analysis procedures could not be used. That is, there was much heterogeneity in terms of how mental health was conceptualised and measured, as well as the range of risk and protective factors explored. Similarly, the quality of the studies was hugely variable. Common flaws amongst the literature include small sample sizes, the use of unvalidated tools and the incomplete reporting of results. Furthermore, for qualitative studies specifically, there appeared to be a focus on breadth instead of depth, particularly in relation to studies using mixed methods.

The generalisability of our findings is limited largely due to the lack of research conducted outside of the US, but also because we limited our review to papers written in English only. The nature of doctoral studies varies in important ways between studies. For example, in Europe, PhD studies usually apply for funding to complete their thesis within 3–4 years and must know their topic of interest at the application stage. Whereas in the US, PhD studies usually take between 5 and 6 years, involve taking classes and completing assignments, and the thesis topic evolves over the course of the PhD. These factors, as well as any differences in the academic culture, are likely to affect the prevalence of mental health problems amongst DRs and the associated risk and protective factors. More research is needed outside of the US.

‘Mental health’ in this review was largely conceptualised as a type of general wellbeing rather than a clinically meaningful construct. None of the studies were ostensibly focused on sampling DRs who were currently experiencing or had previously experienced mental health problems per se, meaning the relevance of the risk, vulnerability and protective factors identified in the meta-synthesis may be more limited in this group. Few studies used clinically meaningful measures. Where clinical measures were used, they captured data on common mental health problems only (i.e. anxiety and depression). Due to these limitations, we are unable to make any assertions about the prevalence of clinical-level mental health problems amongst DRs.

Limitations of this review

As a result of the heterogeneity in this research area, some of the results presented within this review are based on single studies (e.g. correlation data; see Fig. ​ Fig.5) 5 ) rather than the amalgamation of several studies (e.g. meta-analysis/synthesis). To aid clarity when interpreting the results of this review, we have (Table ​ (Table3) 3 ) summarised the volume of evidence supporting risk and protective factors. Moreover, due to the small number of studies eligible for inclusion in this review, we were unable to test whether any of our findings are related to the study characteristics (e.g. year of publication, country of origin, methodology).

We were able to conduct three meta-analyses, one of which aimed to calculate the between-group effect size on the PSS [ 18 , 19 ] between DRs and normative population data. Comparing these data allowed us to draw some initial conclusions about the prevalence of stress amongst DRs, yet we were unable to control for other group differences which might moderate stress levels. For example, the population data was from people in the United States (US) in 1 year, whereas the DR data was multi-national at a variety of time points; and self-reported stress levels may vary with nationality [ 110 ] or by generation [ 111 , 112 ]. Moreover, two of the three meta-analyses showed significant heterogeneity. This heterogeneity could be explained by differences in the sample characteristics (e.g. demographics, country of origin), doctoral programme characteristics (e.g. area of study, funding status, duration of course) or research characteristics (e.g. study design, questionnaires used). However, due to the small number of studies included in these meta-analyses, we were unable to test any of these hypotheses and are therefore unable to determine the cause of this heterogeneity. As more research is conducted on the mental health of DRs, we will be able to conduct larger and more robust meta-analyses that have sufficient power and variance to statistically explore the causes of this heterogeneity. At present, our findings should be interpreted in light of this limitation.

Practice recommendations

Although further research is clearly needed, we assert that this review has identified sufficient evidence in support of several risk and protective factors to the extent that they could inform prevention and intervention strategies. Several studies have evidenced that isolation is toxic for DRs, and that social support can protect against poor mental health. Initiatives that provide DRs with the opportunity to network and socialise both in and outside of their studies are likely to be beneficial. Moreover, there is support for psychoeducation programmes that introduce DRs to a variety of self-care strategies, allow them to find the strategies that work for them and encourage DRs to make time to regularly enact their chosen strategies. Finally, the supervisory relationship was identified as an important correlate of DR mental health. Positive supervision was characterised as inspirational and inclusive, whereas negative supervision productised DRs or neglected them altogether. Supervisor training programmes should be reviewed in light of these findings to inform how institutions shape supervisory practices. Moreover, the initial findings reported here evidence a culture of normalising and even celebrating suffering in academia. It is imperative therefore that efforts to improve and protect the mental health of DRs are endorsed by the whole institution.

Research recommendations

First, we encourage further large-scale mental health prevalence studies that include a non-PhD comparison group and use validated clinical tools. None of the existing studies focused on the presence of serious mental health problems—this should be a priority for future studies in this area. Mixed-methods explorations of the experiences of DRs who have mental health problems, including serious problems, and in accessing mental health support services would be a welcome addition to the literature. More qualitative studies involving in-depth data collection, for example interview and focus group techniques, would be useful in further supplementing findings from qualitative surveys. Our review highlights a need for better communication and collaboration amongst researchers in this field with the goal of creating a level of consistency across studies to strengthen any future reviews on this subject.

The results from this systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-synthesis suggest that DRs reported greater levels of stress than the general population. Research regarding the risk and protective factors associated with the mental health of DRs is heterogenous and disparate. Based on available evidence, robust risk factors appear to include being isolated and being female, and robust protective factors include social support, viewing the PhD as a process, a positive DR-supervisor relationship and engaging in self-care. Further high-quality, controlled research is needed before any firm statements can be made regarding the prevalence of clinically relevant mental health problems in this population.

Supplementary information

Acknowledgements.

Thank you to the Office for Students for their funding to support this work; and thank you to the University of Sussex Doctoral school and our steering group for championing and guiding the ‘Understanding the mental health of Doctoral Researchers (U-DOC)’ project.

Abbreviations

Authors’ contributions.

CH contributed to the conceptualisation, data curation, formal analysis, funding acquisition, investigation, methodology, project administration, supervision, validation, visualisation, writing—original draft preparation and writing—review and editing of this paper. LC contributed to the data curation, investigation, project administration, validation and writing—review and editing of this paper. SV contributed to the data curation, formal analysis, investigation, project administration, validation and writing—review and editing of this paper. PR contributed to the funding acquisition, project administration, supervision and writing—review and editing of this paper. JN contributed to the conceptualisation, funding acquisition, methodology, project administration, supervision, validation, writing—original draft preparation and writing—review and editing of this paper. CB contributed to the conceptualisation, data curation, formal analysis, funding acquisition, investigation, methodology, project administration, supervision, validation, visualisation, writing—original draft preparation and writing—review and editing of this paper. The author(s) read and approved the final manuscript.

The present project was supported by the Office for Students Catalyst Award. The funder had no involvement in the design of the study, the collection, analysis or interpretation of the data, nor the writing of this manuscript.

Availability of data and materials

Ethics approval and consent to participate.

Ethical approval was not needed for the present study.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Contributor Information

Cassie M. Hazell, Email: [email protected] .

Laura Chapman, Email: [email protected] .

Sophie F. Valeix, Email: [email protected] .

Paul Roberts, Email: [email protected] .

Jeremy E. Niven, Email: [email protected] .

Clio Berry, Email: [email protected] .

Supplementary information accompanies this paper at 10.1186/s13643-020-01443-1.

‘You have to suffer for your PhD’: poor mental health among doctoral researchers – new research

Lecturer in Social Sciences, University of Westminster

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Cassie Hazell has received funding from the Office for Students.

University of Westminster provides funding as a member of The Conversation UK.

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PhD students are the future of research, innovation and teaching at universities and beyond – but this future is at risk. There are already indications from previous research that there is a mental health crisis brewing among PhD researchers.

My colleagues and I studied the mental health of PhD researchers in the UK and discovered that, compared with working professionals, PhD students were more likely to meet the criteria for clinical levels of depression and anxiety. They were also more likely to have significantly more severe symptoms than the working-professional control group.

We surveyed 3,352 PhD students, as well as 1,256 working professionals who served as a matched comparison group . We used the questionnaires used by NHS mental health services to assess several mental health symptoms.

More than 40% of PhD students met the criteria for moderate to severe depression or anxiety. In contrast, 32% of working professionals met these criteria for depression, and 26% for anxiety.

The groups reported an equally high risk of suicide. Between 33% and 35% of both PhD students and working professionals met the criteria for “suicide risk”. The figures for suicide risk might be so high because of the high rates of depression found in our sample.

We also asked PhD students what they thought about their own and their peers’ mental health. More than 40% of PhD students believed that experiencing a mental health problem during your PhD is the norm. A similar number (41%) told us that most of their PhD colleagues had mental health problems.

Just over a third of PhD students had considered ending their studies altogether for mental health reasons.

There is clearly a high prevalence of mental health problems among PhD students, beyond those rates seen in the general public. Our results indicate a problem with the current system of PhD study – or perhaps with academic more widely. Academia notoriously encourages a culture of overwork and under-appreciation.

This mindset is present among PhD students. In our focus groups and surveys for other research , PhD students reported wearing their suffering as a badge of honour and a marker that they are working hard enough rather than too much. One student told us :

“There is a common belief … you have to suffer for the sake of your PhD, if you aren’t anxious or suffering from impostor syndrome, then you aren’t doing it "properly”.

We explored the potential risk factors that could lead to poor mental health among PhD students and the things that could protect their mental health.

Financial insecurity was one risk factor. Not all researchers receive funding to cover their course and personal expenses, and once their PhD is complete, there is no guarantee of a job. The number of people studying for a PhD is increasing without an equivalent increase in postdoctoral positions .

Another risk factor was conflict in their relationship with their academic supervisor . An analogy offered by one of our PhD student collaborators likened the academic supervisor to a “sword” that you can use to defeat the “PhD monster”. If your weapon is ineffective, then it makes tackling the monster a difficult – if not impossible – task. Supervisor difficulties can take many forms. These can include a supervisor being inaccessible, overly critical or lacking expertise.

A lack of interests or relationships outside PhD study, or the presence of stressors in students’ personal lives were also risk factors.

We have also found an association between poor mental health and high levels of perfectionism, impostor syndrome (feeling like you don’t belong or deserve to be studying for your PhD) and the sense of being isolated .

Better conversations

Doctoral research is not all doom and gloom. There are many students who find studying for a PhD to be both enjoyable and fulfilling , and there are many examples of cooperative and nurturing research environments across academia.

Studying for a PhD is an opportunity for researchers to spend several years learning and exploring a topic they are passionate about. It is a training programme intended to equip students with the skills and expertise to further the world’s knowledge. These examples of good practice provide opportunities for us to learn about what works well and disseminate them more widely.

The wellbeing and mental health of PhD students is a subject that we must continue to talk about and reflect on. However, these conversations need to happen in a way that considers the evidence, offers balance, and avoids perpetuating unhelpful myths.

Indeed, in our own study, we found that the percentage of PhD students who believed their peers had mental health problems and that poor mental health was the norm, exceeded the rates of students who actually met diagnostic criteria for a common mental health problem . That is, PhD students may be overestimating the already high number of their peers who experienced mental health problems.

We therefore need to be careful about the messages we put out on this topic, as we may inadvertently make the situation worse. If messages are too negative, we may add to the myth that all PhD students experience mental health problems and help maintain the toxicity of academic culture.

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• Academic life
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• 14 December 2021

Depression and anxiety ‘the norm’ for UK PhD students

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PhD students in the United Kingdom are more likely than other educated members of the general public to report symptoms of depression or anxiety, according to a survey.

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-021-03761-3

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This spring, Stanford will launch its most comprehensive student survey around mental health and well-being to date. Input from every student on campus is needed to help set the direction for the university’s mental health services.

The Healthy Minds Study , a baseline assessment that measures students’ attitudes, behaviors and awareness of emotional well-being, is being conducted through Sunday, April 24. All students will receive an email April 11 with a direct link to the survey. It does not have to be completed in one sitting, and results will be reported only in aggregate, with no way to trace them to individuals.

“This will be the most comprehensive survey we have done for all students on their mental health needs and well-being,” said Bina Patel, director of Counseling and Psychological Services . “It will be really critical to shaping our understanding of student needs.”

Survey questions will ask about students’ current mental health status and about what they know and think about the mental health services available on campus, as well as their resilience and coping skills. The graduate student version of the survey will also include questions about alcohol and substance use; undergraduates are surveyed regularly on these topics, so the university has current data about their views.

“Many students are really struggling. People talk about the ‘mental health crisis’ in higher education, and that started before the pandemic,” said Ruben Land, a PhD candidate in neurosciences from Rochester, New York. “If we want to make any headway on these issues, it’s important that we learn more about what’s going on for students from every part of the Stanford community. This survey is one of the best ways that we as students can contribute to efforts for improving the state of mental health and well-being on campus.”

Because the survey results will be used to allocate campus mental health resources, it is vital to have all students’ voices represented.

“If students belong to an underresourced or historically marginalized community, their voices are especially important to us,” said John Austin, senior advisor for mental health and well-being innovation at Vaden Health Services .

Charting a new path

The results of the survey will be made available to the campus community via a public dashboard.

The survey is also one of the first steps in a four-year process to become a JED Campus . Thanks to funding from an anonymous donor, the university will work for four years with the  JED Foundation , a nonprofit organization that focuses on mental health and the prevention of youth suicide and substance misuse, to evaluate and improve campus mental health resources.

The process will help the university “provide the best services possible, so students can thrive and succeed academically and personally,” Austin said.

Representatives from the JED Foundation will visit campus in the spring and will use findings from their visit, along with the survey results, to make recommendations to the university.

“The JED Campus model is based on a public mental health model for student well-being,” Patel said. It looks at students’ sense of belonging, mental health resources on campus and how the physical space of campus supports student health. The goal is to engage entities across campus – from faculty members to facilities – in the mission to improve mental health.

Increasing demand

Even before the pandemic, Stanford – along with colleges and universities across the country – was seeing more students request mental health services.

“We have certainly seen an increase in the mental health service needs of students over the past decade, with an even higher increase in the past few years, given all the challenges in the larger world,” Patel said.

Decreased stigma in seeking mental health services may also be contributing to increased requests for care, though Patel noted that some students are still not comfortable asking for assistance.

In addition, today’s students face challenges including ongoing grief and loss, systemic oppression, racialized trauma and war – all while navigating a pandemic.

“All this coalesces to cause students to feel that the world is a much more unsafe and complex place for them to navigate,” Patel said.

Dealing with mental health during my master’s degree

Luis manuel ontiveros-meza, who experienced mental health challenges during his master’s degree, offers his top tips to help students navigate their own struggles, luis manuel ontiveros-meza.

Last April marked the official end of my master’s studies at the University of Bonn in Germany, after struggling for five years to earn my degree. That’s right, five years!   

I began my programme in the summer term of 2019 and finished once I handed in my thesis at the end of the winter term of 2023-24.   

In total, I was a master’s student for 10 semesters, in a programme that usually requires four, and much of that time was spent dealing with mental health issues, confronting doubts about the future, and generally figuring out who I wanted to be once I stepped out of university.

Of course, it’s a lifelong journey; you’re always evolving, becoming someone new. But I believe that for all of us, and especially international students, this carries a heavy weight that is often linked to mental health issues.  

According to a 2020 study , international students are often particularly at risk of not receiving adequate mental health services during their stay abroad.  

These issues can be worsened by the challenges of settling into another culture or not knowing how and where to ask for help , especially when dealing with feelings of anxiety or loneliness, on top of the usual stressors that are part of any academic studies.  

Adding to this, the lockdown during the pandemic intensified many of the issues already affecting international students, and for me, this was precisely when the most difficult challenges started.   

While the impacts were not obvious at first, at the end of 2020, I was diagnosed with severe depression, which was the main setback to finishing my studies on time. However, what I also experienced then was a profound paralysis about what to do after I finished university, and whether it made sense for me to finish at all.  

How to prevent burnout at university How to communicate with university staff about your mental health How to deal with homesickness at university

I didn’t know what career was a fit for me, if any. I underwent a deep and repeated crisis of spiritual faith. I was living in a different culture, without friends and unable to speak German fluently. I was also dealing with constant changes to my existing relationships.   

Few of us really have the privilege of being certain about the job or career path we will go into after our studies, and any personal or social expectations we’ve internalised become almost unbearable to deal with when already struggling with mental health.  

So, if you find yourself in a similar situation, and if you’ve been working on your studies for a while without a possible end in sight, let me tell you some things that worked for me. These might not work the same for everyone, as we all have different experiences with mental health.  

But my first piece of advice is to know and acknowledge that your situation is unique, but still seek out those who have been in a similar position and listen to them. Listen to yourself and be forgiving towards yourself if you can’t get as much done as you would’ve expected.   

In times of great uncertainty, it is important to learn the skills of patience and perception. Things will get better. You will find your way out of this maze.   

Second, do whatever you can to find and meet interesting people. It might not seem like it, but you are already doing a lot of networking just by being at university and following your interests, even if they’re only hobbies at this point.   

Finally, have a toolbox of concrete actions you can take when you feel at your worst. For this, I recommend the website youfeellikeshit.com. This website provides the user with a self-care game that guides them through a series of questions to help practise self-care. It’s particularly beneficial for those struggling with self-care, executive dysfunction and interpreting internal signals. 

In reality, every international student probably goes through a period of crisis at some point during their studies. You can always reach out to the student council, the international office and to professors. The university will help you to find the resources that work for you.  

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20 Self-Care Ideas to Boost Your Mental Health

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Meditation has been proven to reduce stress and anxiety while increasing feelings of well-being. It's recommended to set aside some time each day to meditate and quiet your mind.

Susan Albers, PsyD, a psychologist at Cleveland Clinic, spoke about the benefits of meditation. "Clinical research indicates that meditation is great for both the body and the mind. Studies have shown that it helps to decrease stress, increase your ability to cope with anxiety, chronic health issues, and pain, improve sleep, and reduce blood pressure," she told Newsroom.

Reduce caffeine intake

Too much caffeine can increase feelings of anxiety and stress. Try reducing your caffeine intake or switch to decaf. Some experts argue that caffeine can be addictive.

Lisa Axelrad, a nutritionist in Los Angeles, spoke to Esquire about the addictive effects of caffeine. "Coffee leads to an afternoon crash and stains our teeth, and that's from just one cup a day. If you're drinking more, you are likely to suffer from headaches, disrupted sleep, irritability, high blood pressure, jitters, insulin resistance, and hormone disruption," Axelrad said.

Seek professional help

If you are struggling with your mental health, it is important to seek professional help. Talk to your doctor or a mental health professional.

According to the US National Institute of Mental Health, talking therapies, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, and psychodynamic therapy, can be helpful for treating a range of mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, among others.

Eat a healthy diet

Eating a healthy diet can help improve your mood and reduce stress. Focus on consuming whole foods and avoiding processed foods. According to registered dietitian Garrett Swisher, better nutrition equals better mental health.

"The way we eat those foods is important. Eating a well-balanced diet, including foods from all food groups, focusing on more whole, unprocessed, less refined foods, and eating regularly. The brain and the gut are interconnected. Foods that make us feel bad are going to make us miserable and not enjoyable to be around," Swisher explained to WTHR.

Regular exercise is beneficial not only for physical health but also for reducing stress and improving mood. It's crucial for both the body, in terms of fitness and longevity, and mental health.

In fact, researchers from the University of South Australia found that physical activity is 1.5 times more effective than therapy or leading medications for reducing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and distress. "Exercise is often overlooked as a potential treatment for anxiety or depression. Exercise and physical activity can be effective in treating depression," said Dr. Scott Krakower, DO, a psychiatrist with Northwell Health, in an interview with Parade.

Connect with friends and family

Make time for regular social activities as spending time with loved ones can help reduce stress and improve mood.

Dr. Raymond Hobbs, a physician consultant at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, emphasized the importance of socializing for our mental and physical health. "We know that social isolation is a serious threat to health. Strengthen relationships with family members, such as siblings, children, nephews, nieces, and cousins," Hobbs explained to Healthline.

Get outside

Spending time outside has been shown to reduce stress and improve mood. Take a walk or sit in the sun for a few minutes each day.

Fitness expert Denise Austin spoke to Prevention about the importance of walking. "It has tremendous benefits, from supporting a healthy immune system to boosting your metabolism to strengthening your joints, muscles, and bones — not to mention it's amazing for stress relief and enjoying a little 'me time,'" Austin said.

Practice mindfulness

Mindfulness is the practice of being present and fully engaged in the moment. It has been shown to reduce stress and improve mental well-being.

Lalah Delia, a wellness educator, discussed the benefits of mindfulness with USA Today. "Mindfulness helps us be present in the world, aware of our energy and aware of the energy around us. It involves actively exploring our thoughts and surroundings to understand how they impact our mental and emotional well-being. This is different from traditional meditation," she explained.

Writing in a journal can be a great way to reflect on your feelings and emotions. It can also help you to identify patterns and triggers that may be affecting your mental health.

"Journaling also improves mental health and allows for stress relief, because it can provide a safe space to unload your pent-up thoughts and feelings," says Dr. Carla Manly, a clinical psychologist based in Sonoma County, California. "In general, whether it's after a therapy session or just after a long day, it is a safe space to put everything out there and close it up," she told TODAY.

Practice gratitude

It's important to take time each day to reflect on the things you're grateful for. Focusing on the positive can help to reduce stress and improve mood.

According to Dani Moye, Ph.D, a licensed marriage and family therapist, being grateful can have a positive impact on our mental health. "When we focus on the good in our lives, the things that make us feel sad or worried are minimized. This shift in perspective can give us emotional freedom and serenity, no matter what we're facing," Moye explained to Forbes Health.

Try a new hobby

Trying something new can be a great way to reduce stress and improve mental well-being. Pick up a new hobby or learn a new skill. "Hobbies have so many positive benefits on mental wellness," said Dr. Tom MacLaren, consultant psychiatrist at Re:Cognition Health, to Irish News.

"They help lift mood, reduce stress, and promote happiness and contentment. To get the full mental health benefit, it's important to find something meaningful and enjoyable, whether it be creative, musical, athletic, academic, involving collecting, or something unique or personal," he added.

Be kind to yourself

Remember to be kind and understanding to yourself. Practice patience and celebrate your accomplishments, no matter how small they may seem.

Dr. Kelli Harding, an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry, discussed the positive effects of kindness on our mental health with EverydayHealth. "Kindness can lower cortisol and blood pressure, reduce pain, anxiety, and depression, and boost our immune system, thus mitigating stress on an individual level," Dr. Harding stated.

Spend time in nature

Spending time in nature has been proven to reduce stress and improve mood. Going for a walk in the park or hiking in the woods are great ways to do this.

Ernesto Lira de la Rosa, PhD, a licensed psychologist and media advisor for the Hope for Depression Research Foundation, explained to Real Simple that our physical and mental health benefit when we connect with nature. "When we spend time in nature, we can literally disconnect from everyday stressors, technology, and social interactions. Nature can help us ground and recharge our bodies and minds, especially if we take time to observe our surroundings," he added.

Listen to music

Listening to music has been shown to reduce stress and improve mood. Put on your favorite music and enjoy.

Trish Glynn, who is a licensed mental health counselor and the owner of The Carey Center, has explained the benefits of listening to music. "Music is known to lower your heart rate while also reducing levels of cortisol, which is known as the stress hormone," Glynn has told Insider.

Practice deep breathing

Deep breathing can be an effective way to reduce stress and improve mental well-being. Try taking a few deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth.

According to a study published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine, breathing techniques like cyclic breathing have been shown to be more effective in improving mood than mindfulness meditation and other breathwork techniques.

Read a book

Reading is an excellent way to unwind and escape from the stresses of daily life. Set aside time each day to read a book that interests you.

Furthermore, reading can help keep your mind sharp and prevent cognitive decline. "Various activities, including reading, that are seen as cognitively engaging are definitely associated with better brain health," said Jonathan King, Ph.D., senior scientific advisor in the division of behavioral and social research at the National Institute on Aging, in an interview with TODAY.com.

Take a bath

Taking a warm bath can be a fantastic way to unwind and reduce stress. Get in the water, lay back, and relax. You can also enhance the experience by playing some music or lighting candles.

According to family medicine provider Amy Zack, MD, taking a bath could have a significant positive impact on your mental health. "Baths also create a peaceful environment for meditation, introspection, and escape from everyday stressors. Promoting relaxation helps you let go of things that can keep you awake as you try to wind down," Zack explained to HealthEssentials.

Practice self-compassion

Be kind and understanding to yourself. Remember that it's okay to make mistakes because you're only human.

According to Kristin Neff, Ph.D., "A lot of research shows that people who score high on self-compassion eat better, exercise more, and keep doctor appointments. It's an attitude of genuine consideration, one that a good parent would have toward a child who wants to have ice cream for dinner every night. The loving and compassionate decision is to say no, to balance the short-term pleasure with the long-term benefit because you value the person," as told to Shape magazine.

Take breaks

It's important to take breaks throughout the day to rest and recharge. Taking a walk, stretching, or simply taking a few deep breaths can be helpful.

Jennifer Bramen, PhD, a senior research scientist, spoke to Healthline about the importance of taking short breaks, especially during work. "In general, the closer you are to taking a 10-minute break, the better you will perform. However, even shorter breaks can still be beneficial," said Bramen.

Get enough sleep

Getting a good night's sleep is crucial for maintaining good mental health. It's recommended to aim for at least 7-8 hours of sleep every night. According to Casey Kelley, MD, ABoIM, founder and medical director of Case Integrative Health, sleep is essential for the body to function properly, just like food, water, and oxygen.

"Sleep is a vital, yet often underappreciated, aspect of overall body health and longevity," Kelley told Real Simple. "While you're asleep, your immune system releases proteins called cytokines that protect against inflammation or infection," she added.

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More From Forbes

The best gift for teacher appreciation week: better mental health.

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“What teachers want more than anything is a work culture that actually sees and values them as whole humans.”

Teachers want to be valued as whole humans

Today marks the start of Teacher Appreciation Week, where we pause to honor the tremendous effort teachers put forth every day, both in and out of the classroom. But while the intent of this celebration is absolutely a laudable one, it often doesn’t go far enough to make a difference in the everyday experience of many educators.

Coinciding with Teacher Appreciation Week is Mental Health Awareness Month—two themes that have become increasingly intertwined over the past several years. While many other professions seem to have rebounded from the effects of the pandemic, education is still reeling. Teacher burnout and mental health struggles are at an all-time high, and it’s not getting better.

I’ve written before about the epic crisis facing education . I’ve wondered what will happen when there are no more teachers . I’ve tried to highlight the value of what teachers bring , day in and day out. Today, I want to talk about why Teacher Appreciation Week needs to be more than a pat on the back.

“Schools are struggling to retain their teaching staff because we are experiencing a workplace philosophical shift,” says Sophia Koehler-Berkley, former teacher and now a NASM Certified Wellness Coach. “Teachers have begun to recognize the many ways the workplace inside schools are not benefiting their well-being, especially in the long-term, and they are leaving to find other schools or other professions that allow them the work-life-balance needed to continue beyond just a few years in the classroom.”

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The major contributor to teacher burnout, says Koehler-Berkley, is how educators are seen as ‘servant leaders.’ “Because teachers deeply care about their students’ well-being, are so mission oriented, and strive to ‘serve their students first,’ this often comes at the cost of establishing healthy boundaries/routines that serve their own wellbeing,” she says.

It’s the often-toxic work culture of schools that hurts teachers the most. Koehler-Berkley shared an example when her brother-in-law passed away from leukemia during her first month of teaching. “I was asked to provide a copy of his funeral service brochure as evidence that my grief was real (this is a standard departmental documentation protocol) and then was guilted by my administration for taking the 1 day off to grieve,” she says. “Doing so in their eyes negatively impacted the learning in my classroom and did not set high expectations for my students.

“Worst of all, because I did deeply care about my students, even after only a few short weeks with them, this only negatively added to my mental load. I felt like by taking time off, I was creating harm.”

The saddest part of this story is that it’s not unique. “Talk to educators anywhere about what contributes to the detriment of their mental health,” says Koehler-Berkley, “and they will name symptoms that can all be linked to the disease of school cultures that do not support teacher wellbeing.”

Non-existent mental health support

From Koehler-Berkley’s personal examples, it seems that mental health support for teachers is basically non-existent. “We get new water bottles, maybe a new school swag t-shirt, or gift card during teacher-appreciation week, but teachers mental health is often pushed to the back-burner,” says Koehler-Berkley. “We are told to ‘fill our cups,’ but no one tells us where/how to find the water to sustain us.” Preaching self-care is clearly not the answer.

During a decade working in and around a large district, Koehler-Berkley says she never once heard of a mental-health workshop that raised awareness or offered research-based practices for monitoring one’s own mental health. “Instead, I have known 3 educators who have taken their own lives, countless who have battled with addiction, and a teacher-happy-hour culture that encourages us to ‘take a load off’ by turning to substance use as the only reprieve from our own mental strain.”

Would this happen in a corporate setting? It’s hard to imagine a workplace with such unrelenting stimulation and stress, without any meaningful resources for its employees to cope. “In most companies it's common to have an HR-led ‘here are the systems in place to support you should you need it’ conversations,” says Koehler-Berkley. “This is not the case for most educators. Teachers support whole communities, but every teacher deserves an advocate for their personal well-being.”

Naturally, teacher support can vary depending on the district. Koehler-Berkley is also confident there are many good leaders in the school systems. “I am so hopeful that there are principals out there determined to provide meaningful support to their own teacher’s mental health,” says Koehler-Berkley.

What teachers really want

“What teachers want more than anything,” says Koehler-Berkley, “is a work culture that actually sees and values them as whole humans.” She describes such an atmosphere as one where:

• Boundaries between work and home are respected, by providing paid time in the school day to plan, grade, and strategize
• Leaving at the end of the school day is the norm, not the exception
• Breaks are used to enjoy oneself, not to recover
• Taking a personal day does not involve follow-up questions of ‘how/why you needed the day’
• Teachers are recognized for being the support system for so many young-people and therefore granted grace and understanding for what that means to a person’s mental load

Is this really too much to ask?

A teacherless future

If communities fail to address the mental health needs of teachers, the picture is bleak. “There are already vacancies in schools that never fill, which in turn stretches those on staff beyond just the roles they are assigned,” says Koehler-Berkley. “Fewer and fewer of the younger generations are signing up or being motivated to become educators because while they may be service oriented, they have a healthy sense of self-preservation.”

A teacherless future is the crisis of epic proportions that is facing education today. And aside from its large-scale implications, there’s a personal cost as well. “It deeply saddens me—I was put into the position where I had to question what was more important: Continuing to serve the next generation or continue to put my own mental-health on the line,” says Koehler-Berkley. “Teachers will come back to the classroom when we no longer have to choose.”

Even as we focus resources on improving the mental health of students , there should be a similar emphasis on supporting the educators who show up for them every day.

So as we celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, let’s give teachers what they really want: A frank conversation about what needs to change inside their school in order to support their mental health and wellbeing.

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Complete a short survey, mental health awareness week: new hse campaign partners in construction and entertainment.

13th May 2024

To mark mental health awareness week, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) welcomes new partners from the construction and entertainment sectors to join its Working Minds campaign.

Running a business in construction can be stressful with long hours and juggling intense workloads.

Meanwhile, the entertainment and leisure sector is a fast-paced and ever-changing industry, with many people self-employed, freelancing, or on short-term contracts. This can lead to uncertainty and unsociable hours.

Around half of all reported work-related ill health in Great Britain is due to stress, depression or anxiety . Whilst the causes can be due to difficult life events, they can also be caused by work-related issues or a combination of both.

In support of the Working Minds campaign, two new partners join the campaign to help promote support available to the construction and entertainment technology industries; The Scaffolding Association and Professional Lighting and Sound Association (Plasa). This takes the number of partners to a total of 35. They will be provided with the tools needed to promote good mental health in the workplace.

Mental health awareness week (13 – 19 May) is a pertinent time to remind employers and managers of the support that is available to help them to prevent work related stress, support good mental health in the workplace and meet their legal obligations to protect workers. Whether work is causing the health issue or aggravating it, employers have a legal responsibility to help their employees.

Elizabeth Goodwill, HSE Work related stress and mental health policy, said: “We spend a lot of time at work, and it can have both positive and negative effects on our mental health.

“We all have periods of good and poor health, both physically and mentally. It’s normal for people to have challenging times and, like any other work-related risk to health, risks to mental health should be included in risk assessments at work.

“Having regular conversations about work related stress and mental health helps to reduce stigma and encourages people to talk about their problems earlier. The earlier an issue is recognised, the sooner action can be taken to reduce or remove it.”

Find out more about the practical resources and support available from HSE’s Working Minds campaign including free online learning where employers can access step by step guidance in one place.

_________________________________________________________________________

Construction

Running a business in construction can be stressful with long hours, juggling intense workloads. According to Mates in Mind , workplace stress is being felt like never before within small, micro and sole trader businesses.

The Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity report that the highest number of calls to their helpline were from labourers.

Robert Candy, Scaffolding Association CEO, said: “Celebrating our commitment to mental health and workplace safety, we are proud to support the Health and Safety Executive Working Minds campaign. Working in the scaffolding sector can be challenging with a wide range of pressures that include finding skilled workers, maintaining a pipeline of work, and managing cash flow.

Robert adds: “At the Scaffolding Association, we firmly believe in fostering a culture of well-being and proactive support in the workplace. Through our partnership with the Working Minds campaign, we are reaffirming our dedication to promoting mental health awareness and providing support to our members in the scaffolding sector. Our members are undertaking some inspiring and innovative initiatives in this vital area, and we look forward to continuing our collaborative efforts to prioritise mental health.

Help is available

If you or someone you know needs help or support, reach out and ask how they are feeling and coping.

Working Minds Construction – Work Right to keep Britain safe

Every Mind Matters (NHS) offers a free personalised Mind Plan for tips and advice to help you look after your mental health. Just answer 5 questions online.

Mates in Mind charity can provide can also offer advice to organisations through their Supporter Programme or

• individuals can text “BeAMate” to 85258 to access free and confidential mental health support service from trained volunteers.
• download managing and reducing workplace stress handbook .
• Read the blog How are you really? by former MD, Sarah Meek.

The Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity provides free support services to any construction worker or their family including;

• 24/7 Construction Industry Helpline, call 0345 605 1956
• Text HARDHAT to 85258 f you’re uncomfortable talking and would rather text
• Free Construction Industry Helpline mobile app.

Entertainment 

The entertainment and leisure sector is a fast-paced and ever-changing industry, with many people self-employed, freelancing, or on short-term contracts. This can lead to uncertainty and long, unsociable hours.

Nicky Greet, Director PLASA Membership, Skills and Technical said: “PLASA fully supports the HSE Working minds campaign and is proud to be a campaign partner. For any business, people are the most important asset.”

Entertainment and leisure – Work Right to keep Britain safe

Mental health resources for the entertainment and leisure sector include:

• Film & TV Charity: Confidential and free support for anyone working behind the scenes in film, TV, or cinema. Support Line 0800 054 0000.
• The Mark Milsome Foundation – Film and TV Online Safety Passport Course (90 minutes)
• Association of Event Venues – Heads up: your well-being tool kit
• Read the Blog from Mig Burgess , teacher, Creative Designer, and Production Technician on her summer commitment to learn more about work-related stress. Mig’s also produced a guidance note for The Association of British Theatre Technicians.
• HSE Facebook
• HSE Twitter
• HSE Youtube
• HSE LinkedIn

10 Best Mental Health Podcasts of 2024

With topics ranging from anxiety and depression to self-love and substance abuse, these listens focused on emotional wellness have something for everyone.

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With millions of podcasts available to listen to, there is truly something for everyone. Whether you’ve recently been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and want to learn about other people’s coping strategies, have a child struggling with an eating disorder and hope to be a better supporter, are trying to maintain a more positive outlook through a rough patch or just want to raise your awareness of mental health issues in general — podcasts can help.

However, with so many podcasts to choose from, it can be overwhelming to pick one, so we’ve done the research for you and compiled the best mental health podcasts of 2023 depending on what you’re in the mood for. Of course, this list doesn’t touch on every mental health issue that exists, but it will provide a safe, comforting and wholesome place for most people to start with.

Our top picks

Best for general mental health: we can do hard things.

• Best for body positivity: iWeigh

Best for heavy topics: The Mental Illness Happy Hour

• Best for Black women: Therapy for Black Girls

Best for couples: Where Should We Begin?

Best for mindful nutrition: maintenance phase, best for depression: the hilarious world of depression.

• Best for variety: Feel Better, Live More With Dr. Chatterjee

Best for managing mood swings: The Happiness Lab

• Best for boosting happiness: Happier: With Gretchen Rubin

We’re constantly updating our podcasts guides with new recommendations, and if you’ve never tune into a podcast before, we encourage you to jump into one of the mental health podcasts below.

For this show, Glennon Doyle (author of the bestseller Untamed ) joins her wife (soccer star Abby Wambach) and her sister Amanda Doyle to talk candidly about how we overcome hardships every day. They cover everything from addiction and career trouble to taking care of parents and maintaining friendships, but in a way that is both honest and hopeful at the same time. The idea is that by discussing these things out in the open it might empower someone else to push through difficult times. The tone is friendly, relatable and endearing so even when they’re having tough conversations, the trio of hosts helps listeners feel at ease.

Apple Podcast Score: 4.9 stars (30K ratings)

Paid or Free: Free

Top Review: "This podcast is beautiful and important work. We all need these women and their guests in our lives and if we can’t take them to lunch (dream!) this body of work will more than suffice! The episode on family estrangement was one of the most pivotal for me and so very validating about a matter that has brought me so much pain. I loved that I could look up the transcript on the pod’s website and I brought the transcript to therapy and have since embarked on a reparation journey."

Best for body positivity: I Weigh

British actress Jameela Jamil started the "I Weigh" movement in an effort to fight back against how the value of women is often measured by their body weight. Instead, she promotes the idea that we each have our own formulation for calculating our value that isn’t based on our body at all but on other traits such as being a good friend, making an honest living, volunteering or a million other things. On the podcast, Jamil interviews other thought leaders on a plethora of mental health topics in an effort to challenge societal standards.

Apple Podcast Score: 4.8 stars (2.2K ratings)

Top Review: "I look forward to listening to new episodes every week because I always walk away learning something new. I am so appreciative of the anti-shame approach to every topic covered."

Comedian Paul Gilmartin was diagnosed with clinical depression in 1999, and in 2003 he realized he was addicted to alcohol. He’s been sober ever since and on this podcast, Gilmartin talks to other artists, friends and doctors about a variety of mental health challenges that people deal with every day. The hope is that moving these discussions from the shadows into an open space might help others who are suffering feel less alone and talking about solutions might provide a path forward for someone. Normalizing mental health problems through podcasts like this one helps reduce the stigma for everyone.

Apple Podcast Score: 4.8 stars (5.6K ratings)

Top Review: "This host has a serious commitment to making anyone and everyone feel safe no matter how bizarre their mental health issue. I like the way he reads selected thoughts from listener surveys; he makes good choices and always honors the perspective of the writer."

Best for Black women: Therapy For Black Girls

No guide to the best podcasts related to mental health is complete without mention of Therapy for Black Girls. Host Joy Harden Bradford, Ph.D. , has earned a glowing reputation for her ability to connect with women of color on a suite of crucial relevant issues, no doubt due in part to her training as a licensed psychotherapist. Plus, it's an approachable program that anyone can easily jump into. (There are more than 300 episodes, but it doesn't matter where you start!) Bradford is the master of crafting compassionate, actionable takeaways for her listeners. Stigmas of many different natures — from being a sole WOC in the workplace to addressing microaggressions from well-meaning friends — are often discussed in-depth in inspiring ways.

Apple Podcast Score : 4.8 stars (5.1K ratings)

Paid or Free : Free

Top Review : "As a therapist and a consumer of podcasts, I love this content. So informative as well as relatable. Interviews are always well thought out and valuable."

If you've ever wanted to be a fly on the wall when therapy actually takes place, here's your chance. Host, author and psychotherapist Esther Perel counsels real couples as they discuss their personal issues on Where Should We Begin? There is more than five seasons' worth of trauma and conflict explored with Perel's gentle approach, and listeners are bound to identify with the issues presented, which range from a committed couple overcoming infidelity that led to happier lifestyles to a pair of the best pals determining whether they should end their friendship . The real-world application of couples can be inspiring and will likely keep you coming back for more.

Apple Podcast Score : 4.8 stars (12.5K ratings)

Top Review: "What Ester is able to evoke, contextualize, and make contact with in each episode is phenomenal. I’m able to see myself and my dynamics in most people she works with. She has a rigorous intellect, a compassionate, heart, and a playful spirit which allows for so much insight."

Stephanie Dolgoff , deputy director of the Lifestyle Group's Health Newsroom, helped launch Good Housekeeping 's exploration into diet culture starting in 2020 , and points to Maintenance Phase as a worthy resource for anyone wishing to find wholesome nutritional direction in their life. The program works to debunk questionable science and marketing claims behind today's propelled health fads, which also include wellness-related activities that branch into mental health. Topics explored in this timely series include self-worth as it relates to food, the dangerous effect of the BMI on women's health and a deep dive into the complicated world of treating eating disorders.

Apple Podcast Score : 4.8 stars (12K ratings)

Top Review : "The hosts are hilarious and have great chemistry. Every episode is a lesson from them on how to examine the world around us and ask questions to uncover bias in ourselves and others. They school me better than my teachers ever did."

Best for variety: Feel Better, Live More

One of Good Housekeeping 's best overall podcasts this year, Feel Better, Live More is a podcast iteration of BBC Host and best-selling author Dr. Rangan Chatterjee's quest to answer the most pressing health and wellness dilemmas of modern times. The general practitioner pulls in specialized experts leading their fields to simplify the most complicated subjects (from stress management to body language ) in each episode. There are more than 350 episodes, with multiple new releases weekly, dedicated to debunking health myths so you can improve your nutrition holistically, improve sleep hygiene and practice targeted relaxation.

Apple Podcast Score : 4.8 stars (1.7K ratings)

Paid or Free : Paid Subscription

Top Review: "This guys cares! He is so smart and kind and inspiring. Each episode is chock-full of amazing information. I learn something new every episode that I apply to my life. The best episode so far was with Dr. Mindy Pelz. Fantastic interview on a subject that absolutely needs to be forefront in health."

It's not often that people can laugh at depression, but public radio host John Moe captured Dolgoff's attention for highlighting the plight of coping with clinical depression and its stigma in a highly relatable approach. Even those who do not currently seek treatment for depression would find value in each episode, as the series is made up of hilarious, raw conversations between comedians and other guests who have experienced depression firsthand. While the show's 97 episodes have been lauded by fans across the internet and are still available, The Hilarious World of Depression has been officially canceled — diehard fans have migrated over to Moe's newest show, Depresh Mode , which includes more discussion on topics outside of depression.

Apple Podcast Score : 4.8 stars (4.3K ratings)

Top Review : "I searched for a podcast on depression when my husband hit a scary low in depression. Not only do I feel more optimistic about my spouse and marriage, but I am a better partner as I have learned endless understanding and compassion for people with depression."

If you've recently realized that your emotions are signaling a more serious depression, you'll likely have a lot of misconceptions about how you should begin to seek help. This is where Yale University's Laurie Santos, Ph.D. , and her Happiness Lab program comes in. With more than 100 episodes available, Santos walks listeners through the latest research on how behavior and emotions are interlinked. Santos's directives on managing negativity that contributes to depression ( or anxiety or even grief!) are the main draw of this uber-popular podcast. Of course, no podcast is a miracle cure for feeling better so don't beat yourself if you try some tips from The Happiness Lab and don't immediately feel more blissful.

Apple Podcast Score : 4.7 stars (13.3K ratings)

Top Review : "I find this podcast to be highly informative and easy to digest. The two-part series, ‘Happier Parents, Happier Kids’ was SO GOOD! Good really doesn’t begin to describe how valuable it was to me! There was so much to unpack in it."

Best for boosting happiness: Happier With Gretchen Rubin

Listeners can jump into author-turned-host Gretchen Rubin's laid-back family-style podcast with ease. It focuses on finding a few quick ways of increasing your holistic happiness in each and every episode. If you're finding yourself coming to terms with troublesome habits you'd like to break, but don't know where to start, Rubin has created a cheatsheet to her best episodes to get started. Topics include overcoming loneliness all on your own , facing climate anxiety and working on better boundaries with your tech , among many others. Just keep in mind that if you're struggling with a real mental health issue, Gretchen's approach to becoming happier might be a little simplistic.

Apple Podcast Score : 4.7 stars (11.9K ratings)

Top Review: "This podcast is a little piece of sunshine added to my day. I love the insight, tips and positivity found here. I’m always looking forward to the next one!"

What is a mental health podcast?

A mental health podcast is one that is meant to improve your emotional well-being when you listen to it. Some directly discuss things related to psychology or mental health while others can boost your mood indirectly. After listening to a mental health podcast, you should walk away feeling better, whether because you learned new coping strategies, heard an inspiring story, learned something interesting about yourself or for some other positive reason.

On the other hand, some podcasts can actually be detrimental to your mental health — such as those focused on negative news or crime. "The neocortex is the part of the brain that gives you the ability to be creative, innovative, optimistic, rational and to feel love," says Emily Bashah, Psy.D. , a co-author of Addictive Ideologies and co-host of The Optimistic American podcast. "But if a podcast can terrify you, it engages the limbic system, which is the more primitive part of the brain, and the amygdala then hijacks the neocortex. This leaves you with only fear or anger and the desire to fight, flight or freeze."

What are the benefits of listening to a mental health podcast?

The key to podcasts is that most are free or relatively affordable, which means some of the ones related to mental health can be quite valuable. "They provide an accessible way to learn more information about mental health conditions and best practice treatment approaches from educated professionals," says Jennifer Guttman, Psy.D. , a clinical psychologist and author of the forthcoming Beyond Happiness . "They can provide greater awareness of psychological conditions, reducing the stigma associated with mental health struggles. Because listeners can enjoy podcasts in their own time, at their own pace and in a safe place it can offer an opportunity for self-acceptance and strategy building."

For instance, in many mental health podcasts, hosts and guests openly talk about problems they have personally faced or they interview mental health experts about specific psychological issues. "Listening to others talk about their own struggles, how they overcame adversity and grew from that can be inspirational," says Bashah. "Insight from real experiences can help us appreciate that we are not alone and often help us find meaning, purpose and gratitude."

How can I choose the best mental health podcast for me?

"In general, being selective of where we obtain information, finding credible sources with more optimistic perspectives can enhance our lives," says Bashah, who points out there are no credibility or accuracy checks for podcasts so the responsibility is placed on the listener to decide if they should tune in. "Thus, avoiding or limiting time on podcasts that promote conspiracy theories, generate paranoia, promote divisions or dichotomous thinking, will be important to sustain mental health and overall wellness," explains Bashah. "It is just as important to avoid podcasts that promote a victim mindset. While hosts can often build up large amounts of subscribers by selectively targeting a group, a good host should help you think of the role you are playing in any problem and promote self agency."

To ensure a mental health podcast is a good fit for you, there are a few things to think about before you spend hours listening to one. For starters, " it’s important to feel like you connect with the host, " says Guttman. "Take into consideration whether you are a member of their target audience so that the topics covered will be most relevant to you." Then, before you listen to an episode, Guttman recommends reading the info blurb about the episode to make sure you won’t be triggered by the topic.

Also, keep in mind that some of the best mental health podcasts aren’t hosted by experienced mental health professionals, but if you find one that is, that’s definitely a plus. "It's not that mental health professionals are the only people with good advice on emotional wellness, but I would be concerned about podcasts that don't draw on their expertise at all," says Nick Allen, Ph.D. , clinical psychologist, professor at the University of Oregon and co-founder of digital mental health company Ksana Health .

Lastly, look for a podcast in which the host or guests clearly explain any research and methodology they use to help them come up with strategies for handling mental health issues. "Research is the best way to understand whether an approach will actually enrich your mental health, or if it is snake oil," says Allen.

When should you see a therapist for mental health concerns?

Remember, listening to podcasts — even ones that tackle mental health issues — is just one piece of a self-care action plan. A podcast can be an enjoyable way to reflect on emotional issues that may be bothering you, but it's not meant to substitute formal treatment with a clinical health provider . "People who may be dealing with feelings of anxiety and depression but are still able to function in daily roles — at work or in their family — may find the advice on podcasts very useful without further help," says Allen. "However, if the emotional difficulties are severe enough that you can't go to work or get through the day as you usually would, then it's probably a good idea to seek the help of a mental health professional as well," he adds, citing suicidal thoughts, as well as a history of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder , as indicators that a podcast alone isn't sufficient.

How we chose the best mental health podcasts

For this story, we looked at top podcast lists, scoured reviews in the app stores, asked therapists for recommendations and got feedback from colleagues who are avid podcast listeners. We then made sure to cover a wide variety of mental health issues for a mix of target demographics, and researched each one to ensure it is either made in conjunction with or highlights input from real-life mental health professionals.

Zee Krstic is a content strategy manager for Hearst Magazines, focusing on SEO optimization and other editorial strategies for four brands, including Country Living, House Beautiful, ELLE Decor and VERANDA. He previously served as Health Editor for Good Housekeeping between 2019 and 2023, covering health news, diet and fitness trends as well as executing wellness product reviews in conjunction with the Good Housekeeping Institute. Prior to joining Hearst, Zee fostered a strong background in women's lifestyle media with eight plus years of editorial experience, including as a site-wide editor at Martha Stewart Living after developing a nutrition background as an assistant editor at Cooking Light . Zee produces service-based health coverage, as well as design and travel content, for Hearst brands on a contributor basis; he has written about food and dining for Time, among other publications.

Dr. Susan Krauss Whitbourne is a professor emerita of psychology at University of Massachusetts Amherst and faculty fellow in gerontology at the University of Massachusetts Boston

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May 7, 2024

Mental Health Month theme addresses ‘where to start,’ includes building coping toolbox, more

It can be hard to know “where to start” (which is this year’s Mental Health Month theme) when it comes to taking care of mental health needs. This May, during Mental Health Month, Mental Health America (MHA) is encouraging individuals to build a coping toolbox to help manage stress, difficult emotions and challenging situations.

MHA states that “a coping toolbox is a collection of skills, techniques, items and other suggestions that you can turn to as soon as you start to feel anxious or distressed.” No two individuals are exactly alike, so the same things won’t work for everyone. However, building and having a coping toolbox on hand can help when mental health concerns start to be too much.

MHA’s “ Where To Start: Building Your Coping Toolbox ” PDF outlines ideas on how to build a toolbox and includes information on mood boosters, processing feelings, problem-solving, relaxation exercises and more. 

Additionally, MHA is offering several other “Where To Start” resources to help individuals navigate mental health needs or concerns should they arise, including:

• Decision Map: Where To Go — This map is a starting point to help individuals who have decided to seek help navigate paths to available resources and more.
• Letter: Time To Talk — Individuals can use this letter template to help them share their needs with someone they trust in a format that works for them, which could include text messages, an email, an actual letter, a face-to-face conversation, etc.
• Things You Can Say When You’re Not “Fine” — Sometimes it may seem easier to respond to a “How are you?” with “Fine,” even though you’re not. This resource gives examples of things to say that can help individuals express their need for help.
• Word Bank: What’s Underneath — Feelings are often difficult to explain. MHA offers this word bank to help individuals find the best way to accurately communicate what they are feeling, which can lead to them finding the help they need.

MHA’s full Mental Health Month toolkit, which includes the resources above and more, can be found here and is available for download.

Behavioral health providers for Purdue and Purdue Global employees

At Purdue and Purdue Global, the goal is to relieve employees of the stress that often comes with seeking mental health assistance so they can go beyond the surface and receive help. That’s possible through the university’s behavioral health providers specific to each campus or location — all of which offer free, confidential counseling for benefits-eligible employees and dependents covered on a Purdue health plan:

• West Lafayette: SupportLinc (code for new registrants: purdue)
• Northwest: New Avenues
• Fort Wayne: Bowen Center
• Purdue Global: Health Advocate

ADDITIONAL MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES

To assist faculty and staff

Faculty and staff can review the Mental Health Resources webpage for a variety of resources and information on Purdue’s health plan coverage for mental health and substance abuse. 

To assist students

Faculty and staff who work with students or have a student at home can direct them to the resources below for behavioral health assistance. Note: United Healthcare Student Resources (UHCSR) — medical plan provider for students and graduate students — offers 292 unique in-network mental health providers serving at various locations within Tippecanoe County. The list is available here . Additionally, students have access to HealthiestYou , which provides virtual access to mental health care as part of UHCSR’s plan. All services are free for students covered under the UHCSR insurance plan.    

Office of the Dean of Students

• Continuous Network of Support
• Services and Information
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• Student of Concern Report link

Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS)

• Therapy Services at CAPS
• Self-Help Resources
• Group Therapy
• CAPS YouTube channel
• NAMI On Campus — A free, virtual support group on campus
• Thriving Campus — Service that provides students a way to search for mental health providers in many areas, locally and across the country
• Therapy Assistance Online (TAO) — Web- and app-based mental health resource

Questions regarding Purdue’s behavioral health resources can be directed to Human Resources at 765-494-2222 or via email at [email protected] .

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