The Impact of Research Culture on Mental Health & Diversity in STEM

Abstract

The onset of COVID-19, coupled with the finer lens placed on systemic racial disparities within our society, has resulted in increased discussions around mental health. Despite this, mental health struggles in research are still often viewed as individual weaknesses and not the result of a larger dysfunctional research culture. Mental health interventions in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) academic community often focus on what individuals can do to improve their mental health instead of focusing on improving the research environment. In this paper, we present four aspects of research that may heavily impact mental health based on our experiences as research scientists: bullying and harassment; precarity of contracts; diversity, inclusion, and accessibility; and the competitive research landscape. Based on these aspects, we propose systemic changes that institutions must adopt to ensure their research culture is supportive and allows everyone to thrive.

Mental health in medical and biomedical doctoral students during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and racial protests

“…Some potential causes to explore include toxic work environments, systemic racism, sexism, homophobia and unhealthy cultural and academic norms. In addition, the following factors contribute to historical exclusion based on race and ethnicity: bullying and harassment, precarity of work contracts in higher education, science inequities based on barriers and limitations to diversity, inclusion, and accessibility, and a disproportionate effect of the competitive culture in academia on historically excluded groups ( Limas et al, 2022 ; Limas, 2021 ). Researchers must continue to examine how these and other factors may contribute to negative experiences for historically excluded groups particularly, and to extend this research to proposing, implementing and evaluating needed programmatic and policy changes empirically.…”

Negotiating mentoring relationships and support for Black and Brown early‐career faculty

“…In navigating hostile institutions and the politics of promotion and tenure, groups who have been marginalized have created their own spaces of refuge and support. Limas et al (2022) acknowledge mental health struggles that result from larger dysfunctional research cultures in institutions of higher education. In discussing mental health interventions for the STEM academic community, they focused on systemic changes that are needed to create more inviting research environments where everyone can thrive.…”

“…In discussing mental health interventions for the STEM academic community, they focused on systemic changes that are needed to create more inviting research environments where everyone can thrive. The competitive nature of scientific discovery and the scarcity of research funding impacts the researcher's mental health and can be detrimental to advancing one's career (Limas et al, 2022). The authors encourage institutions of higher education to move beyond performative action to support inclusive and thriving academic spaces that promote good mental health.…”

Who cares about learning design? Near future superheroes and villains of an educational ethics of care

“…All we can do is try to go together. Faced with a supervillain like Johan, learning designers need workplace friends (like Pema), allyship, institutional redress channels (Limas et al 2022) and wider support because equity is neither bound by, nor limited, to the 'confines and hierarchies of formal institutions' (Zamora et al 2021).…”