An Empirical Investigation of Mental Illness, Impostor Syndrome, and Social Support in Management Doctoral Programs

Abstract

Scholars in multiple cross-disciplinary studies have found rates of mental illness among graduate students exceed the reported averages. Yet mental illness among management doctoral students remains largely unexplored. In this study, we surveyed 113 management doctoral students to ascertain the prevalence of symptoms for two common mental illnesses, depression and anxiety, as well as experiences of impostor syndrome and perceived sources of social support. Empirical findings from the first phase of our research suggest that management doctoral students are at greater risk than the general population of experiencing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and feelings of being an impostor. However, social support from a supervisor and from friends was negatively related to symptoms of depression and anxiety, indicating that these sources can be helpful. In phase two of our research, a thematic analysis of data from structured interviews with nine management doctoral students revealed themes linking impostor syndrome with social support, highlighting that the type of social support may be as beneficial as the source of social support. Recommendations for future research, as well as for students, supervisors, and administrators, are provided.

Mental Health and Psychological Well-Being Among Management Students and Educators

“…Authors of the final article, Adam Pervez, Lisa L. Brady, Ken Mullane, Kevin D. Lo, Andrew A. Bennett, and Terry A. Nelson, employed quantitative and qualitative research methodologies to study the effects among management doctoral students of “impostor syndrome,” which Clance and Imes (1978) define in terms of persistent feelings of self-doubt, fraudulence, and impending failure; and how this can contribute to depression and anxiety symptoms among these students as well as degrading their psychological well-being. Pervez et al (2021) also looked at whether social support from family, friends, advisors, and classmates can help to ameliorate such symptoms. Results demonstrated that, compared with the general adult population, management doctoral students experience significantly more symptoms of depression and anxiety; and that these appear to be related to the presence of impostor syndrome among these students.…”

“…As Pervez et al (2021) observe, there is a need to focus our attention on the experiences of doctoral students and consider how to best support their well-being. Few researchers to date have investigated the experiences of doctoral students in business schools and identifying how doctoral students’ experiences vary across disciplines represents an important area for future research.…”

Drowning on Dry Land: Looking Back and Learning From COVID-19

“…We already know that completing a PhD can be a stressful experience; what is it like during a global pandemic? We have observed first-hand students struggling with significant mental health issues, which we know were prevalent among management graduate students prior to COVID-19 (Pervez et al, 2021), and we are concerned that some of these students are simply not receiving adequate support. As the next generation of academics, our graduate students need targeted assistance, particularly when many are studying away from home (and their families) and may be isolated from their peer groups.…”

The Pandemic Phd Programme Reading And Thinking About the Celebrity Intellectual (And Covid-19)

“…It remained one of the earliest and most urgent requests in my vlog series (Brabazon 2016). It is clear that doctoral studies reveal a higher incidence of depression, anxiety and imposter syndrome than the rest of the population (Pervez 2021). There are many rationales for this list of problematic states.…”

“…There is now a body of research about stress and burnout (Allen 2020). However, a key coping strategy was the development of a social network (Pervez 2021). Peer support created connection without threat and enabled the management of anxiety.…”