Understanding the Mental Health of Doctoral Students

Abstract

Doctoral degrees include Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) and other professional doctorates such as Engineering Doctorate (EngD), Doctor of Education (EdD) or Doctor of Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy). Unlike undergraduate or postgraduate taught students, doctoral students focus upon a single, autonomous piece of research. Research indicates a high occurrence of mental health problems, mental distress, and symptoms of anxiety or depression in doctoral students. Additionally, there is concern that they may be less likely to disclose existing mental health problems or access support services than undergraduate or postgraduate taught students. This entry explores the known factors that contribute to the mental health of doctoral students studying in the United Kingdom.

Doctoral Student Experience: The Supervisors’ Perspective

“…is supported by established thinking regarding the importance of training for PGRs [42][43][44], but also links to the ongoing need to train doctoral supervisors [4,45].…”

Qualitative Pilot Interventions for the Enhancement of Mental Health Support in Doctoral Students

“…A recent review summarized the pertinent factors that appear to predict poorer mental health during postgraduate research degrees [13]. The authors postulate that individual psychological resources, peer and supervisory support, and academic culture in combination underpin mental health in this population.…”

“…However, these interventions tended to focus on one layer of a doctoral student's complex ecological system. As identified, interventions are unlikely to be successful unless they simultaneously target multiple aspects, from the individual's psychological resilience to stress, their immediate support system, and the wider research culture they are active within [13].…”