Costs and Benefits of Undergraduates Revealing Depression to Online Science Instructors

Busch, Carly A.; Mohammed, Tasneem F; Nadile, Erika M.; Witt, Madison L; Vargas, Cindy; Tran, Missy; Wolf, Joseph Gazing; Brister, Danielle; Cooper, Katelyn M.

doi:10.1187/cbe.22-05-0088

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 65 publications

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“…Prior research from our group has found that college science students are often reluctant to reveal their depression in science learning environments, but if learning environments are inclusive and welcoming, then students are more comfortable revealing this important aspect of themselves ( Cooper et al. , 2020b ; Busch et al. , 2023 ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Aspects of Active-Learning Science Courses That Exacerbate and Alleviate Depression in Undergraduates

Araghi

Busch

Cooper

2023

LSE

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Aspects of Active-Learning Science Courses That Exacerbate and Alleviate Depression in Undergraduates

Araghi

Busch

Cooper

2023

LSE

Self Cite

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“…Depression is characterized by a pervasive feeling of sadness, anhedonia, difficulty concentrating or making decisions, feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt, recurrent thoughts of death or self-harm, changes in sleep patterns or appetite, restlessness or slow movements, and a persistent feeling of tiredness or lack of energy [10,11]. It is one of the most common manifestations of psychiatric pathologies and is closely associated with significant disability, impaired health-related quality of life, and increased mortality [12].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pain-Insomnia-Depression Syndrome: Triangular Relationships, Pathobiological Correlations, Current Treatment Modalities, and Future Direction

Haidary,

Arif,

Hossaini

et al. 2024

Pain Ther

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these treatments, additional interventions such as deep brain stimulation (DBS) may be required. Despite advances in understanding and treatment, there are still gaps in knowledge that need to be addressed. To improve our understanding, future research should focus on conducting longitudinal studies to uncover temporal associations, identify biomarkers and genetic markers associated with PIDS, examine the influence of psychosocial factors on treatment responses, and develop innovative interventions that address the complex nature of PIDS. The aim of this study is to provide a comprehensive overview of these components and to discuss their underlying pathobiological relationships.

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Face negotiation in graduate school: the decision to conceal or reveal depression among life sciences Ph.D. students in the United States

2023

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Background Depression is one of the top mental health concerns among biology graduate students and has contributed to the “graduate student mental health crisis” declared in 2018. Several prominent science outlets have called for interventions to improve graduate student mental health, yet it is unclear to what extent graduate students with depression discuss their mental health with others in their Ph.D. programs. While sharing one’s depression may be an integral step to seeking mental health support during graduate school, depression is considered to be a concealable stigmatized identity (CSI) and revealing one’s depression could result in loss of status or discrimination. As such, face negotiation theory, which describes a set of communicative behaviors that individuals use to regulate their social dignity, may help identify what factors influence graduate students’ decisions about whether to reveal their depression in graduate school. In this study, we interviewed 50 Ph.D. students with depression enrolled across 28 life sciences graduate programs across the United States. We examined (1) to what extent graduate students revealed their depression to faculty advisors, graduate students, and undergraduates in their research lab, (2) the reasons why they revealed or concealed their depression, and (3) the consequences and benefits they perceive are associated with revealing depression. We used a hybrid approach of deductive and inductive coding to analyze our data. Results More than half (58%) of Ph.D. students revealed their depression to at least one faculty advisor, while 74% revealed to at least one graduate student. However, only 37% of graduate students revealed their depression to at least one undergraduate researcher. Graduate students’ decisions to reveal their depression to their peers were driven by positive mutual relationships, while their decisions to reveal to faculty were often based on maintaining dignity by performing preventative or corrective facework. Conversely, graduates performed supportive facework when interacting with undergraduate researchers by revealing their depression as a way to destigmatize struggling with mental health. Conclusions Life sciences graduate students most commonly revealed their depression to other graduate students, and over half reported discussing depression with their faculty advisor. However, graduate students were reluctant to share their depression with undergraduate researchers. Power dynamics between graduate students and their advisors, their peers, and their undergraduate mentees influenced the reasons they chose to reveal or conceal their depression in each situation. This study provides insights into how to create more inclusive life science graduate programs where students can feel more comfortable discussing their mental health.

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Costs and Benefits of Undergraduates Revealing Depression to Online Science Instructors

Cited by 4 publications

References 65 publications

The Aspects of Active-Learning Science Courses That Exacerbate and Alleviate Depression in Undergraduates

The Aspects of Active-Learning Science Courses That Exacerbate and Alleviate Depression in Undergraduates

Pain-Insomnia-Depression Syndrome: Triangular Relationships, Pathobiological Correlations, Current Treatment Modalities, and Future Direction

Face negotiation in graduate school: the decision to conceal or reveal depression among life sciences Ph.D. students in the United States

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