Researching the researchers: psychological distress and psychosocial stressors according to career stage in mental health researchers

Abstract

Background Although there are many benefits associated with working in academia, this career path often involves structural and organisational stressors that can be detrimental to wellbeing and increase susceptibility to psychological distress and mental ill health. This exploratory study examines experiences of work-related psychosocial stressors, psychological distress, and mental health diagnoses among mental health researchers. Methods This international cross-sectional study involved 207 mental health researchers who were post-graduate students or employed in research institutes or university settings. Work-related psychosocial stressors were measured by the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire III (COPSOQ III). Psychological distress was assessed using the Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). Thoughts of suicide was assessed using an adaptation of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). History of mental health diagnoses was assessed through a custom questionnaire. Pearson’s chi-square test of independence was used to compare mental health diagnoses and suicidal ideation across career stages. The association between work-related psychosocial stressors and psychological distress was conducted using multivariate linear regression controlling for key demographic, employment-related and mental health factors. Results Differences in ‘demands at work’ and the ‘work-life balance’ domain were lowest among support staff (p = 0.01). Overall, 13.4% of respondents met the threshold for severe psychological distress, which was significantly higher in students compared to participants from other career stages (p = 0.01). Among the subgroup of participants who responded to the question on mental health diagnoses and suicidal ideation (n = 152), 54% reported a life-time mental health diagnosis and 23.7% reported suicidal ideation since their academic career commencement. After controlling for key covariates, the association between the ‘interpersonal relations and leadership’ domain and psychological distress was attenuated by the mental health covariates included in model 3 (β = −0.23, p = 0.07). The association between the remaining work-related psychosocial stressors and psychological distress remained significant. Conclusions Despite working in the same environment, research support staff report experiencing significantly less psychosocial stressors compared to postgraduate students, early-middle career researchers and senior researchers. Future research that targets key modifiable stressors associated with psychological distress including work organization and job content, and work-life balance could improve the overall mental health and wellbeing of mental health researchers.

Mental health status and stressful life events among postgraduate nursing students in Cyprus: a cross-sectional descriptive correlational study

“…The study findings indicated that the prevalence of mental and clinical distress among postgraduate students was 36.7% (N = 33), which is consistent with those of previous studies. According to numerous studies, [ 13 , 38 – 40 ] most postgraduate students worldwide face significant levels of stress and experience new patterns of mental health crises [ 13 , 41 , 42 ]. Research evidences supported that, 39% of post graduate students involved, experience signs of moderate-to-severe depression, which is six times higher than the general population [ 13 ].…”

Career Development and Psychopathological Symptoms on Female Workers

“…24 Research by Hill et al, conducted on groups of researchers found that 27 workers (13,4%) with severe distress, even to the point where there were suicidal ideations. 7 Studies investigating the mediating role of selfcriticism and self-confidence as a link between stress, depression, and anxiety found that feelings of self-uselessness contribute to the development of depression. 25,26,27 The impact of injustice and low self-control on stressors at work is stronger in causing distress to workers with low cognitive levels than those with high cognitive levels.…”

“…Research on mental health researchers found that there is a strong relationship between mental health in them and psychosocial stressors in work organizations such as work influences, opportunities for career development, and also in work and life balance such as commitment to work, job uncertainty, work quality, job satisfaction, and both conflict inside and outside the work with others. 7 The career development process can be useful to find and set goals for the employee to improve worker welfare. 8 It was found that workers who experience stressors tend to remain silent and do not seek proper help from experts due to the stigma associated with work stress.…”

Musculoskeletal complaints, postural patterns and psychosocial workplace predictors in police officers from an organizational unit of a German federal state police force - a study protocol

“…Thus, the German version corresponds to the recommendation of Nübling et al [51] who first examined the translated version of the Danish original in Germany in 2006. The COPSOQ has already been used with various occupational groups such as teachers [37], nurses [38], researchers in mental health [39] and the general Dutch working-age population (n = 55,950) [40].…”