The mental labyrinth of postgraduate research: a qualitative study of postgraduate mental health and wellbeing and the impact of the supervisory relationship

Abstract

Postgraduate research students (PGRs) experience disproportionately high levels of psychological distress. Many factors contribute to this poor mental wellbeing and relate to each other in complex and dynamic ways. However, the relationship between PGRs and their supervisor(s) is known to strongly affect the wellbeing of the former. This study explores the mental health and wellbeing of PGRs with a focus on the role of the student—supervisor relationship. Using combined qualitative data from a large survey of PGRs and focus groups and reflexive thematic analysis, we found that PGRs experience the overarching process of obtaining a research degree as a mental labyrinth. Three constituent themes were identified: (1) inequity in navigating the labyrinth, (2) the labyrinth as a place of uncertainty and isolation, and (3) supervisors as labyrinth guides, not mental care providers. The results suggest that significant inequities exist which contribute to poorer mental wellbeing in particular subgroups of PGRs, both in general and specifically in relation to the supervisory relationship. Experiences of loneliness and ambiguity around progress were also identified as being detrimental to mental health. Furthermore, although supervisors can be a vital source of support and have a positive influence on PGR mental health, students recognise supervisors cannot reasonably be expected to act as professional mental health care providers and institutions must do more to provide equitable access to mental health support services.

Understanding the Mental Health of Doctoral Students

“…Self-reported workaholism was a predictor of more adverse mental health outcomes than any other variable. Qualitative studies further elucidate these findings, explaining how there is guilt associated with dedicating time to self-care or activities that may promote wellbeing due to the perceived pressure of academic work [36,38,43]. This research is timely, illuminating the experience of those situated within this culture of over-work.…”

“…The pressures faced by academics in terms of pressure to publish, high workload, and unfavourable work-life balance could filter down the hierarchy [61]. This can be experienced more acutely by those from diverse groups within non-diverse academic environments [43]. The findings of this review highlight the heterogeneity of the doctoral research experience in the UK, and the need to foster inclusive communities where all members receive equitable treatment.…”

“…Jackman et al [44] conducted a person-centred analysis to create student profiles, concluding that high support from supervisors and high identification and belonging, in combination, were related to positive psychological outcomes. Likewise, qualitative evidence highlights the important role supervisors have in facilitating belonging [30] and positive experiences of doctoral research overall [43]. These studies provide thick descriptions of the importance of the supervisory relationship in helping doctoral students to identify with their academic communities.…”

“…Berry et al [42] highlight the importance of balancing supervisory support and encouraging researcher agency through the analysis of focus group data. White et al [43] also explore power imbalances in supervisory relationships and the role this may play in the mental health and wellbeing of doctoral students. These findings speak to the complexity of the supervisory relationship, potentially indicating that existing scales, such as the Juniper PhD Wellbeing scale that was utilised by Casey et al [37] and Juniper et al [36], may not have been able to capture the more subtle nuances of the relationship and the power dynamics that may interplay with wellbeing.…”

“…This qualitative research provides evocative narratives from under-represented PGRs. Qualitative survey responses revealed how current systems did not adapt well to those with diverse needs [43], highlighting the elitist aspects of academia. These issues also came to the fore within the study by The Student Mental Health Research Network that focused on the experiences of doctoral students during the first COVID-19 lockdown in the UK [47,48].…”