A PhD is an academic rollercoaster of persistence, grit, and self-discovery. Doctoral candidates are tasked with completing a substantial piece of work within a timeframe that is often too short, with pay that is often too low, often leading to high levels of burnout and poor mental health.
Nevertheless, for many the PhD years are some of the best memories of their academic and professional careers: giving researchers unmatched freedom with their time, access to vast and inspiring networks, and the opportunity to meaningfully contribute to resolving some of society’s biggest challenges.
What the numbers tell us
In the UK, one in two students experience psychological distress during their doctoral studies, with almost half (42 per cent) of students believing it is the “norm” to develop a mental health problem during a PhD. A large study conducted by the University of Westminster investigating suicide among doctoral researchers found that 40 per cent of survey respondents were at high risk of suicide, with feelings of isolation being a likely contributing factor to poor mental wellbeing.
Results from a recent exit survey completed by international students from the University Alliance DTA3 doctorate programme found that 55 per cent of respondents reported seeking help for their mental wellbeing during their PhD programme, with a third having to take time off studies due to mental health concerns.
A deeper dive into the data suggested that PhD students working 46+ hours per week had a higher prevalence of poor mental health than those working “typical” nine-to-five schedules. Unfortunately, almost half (43 per cent) of DTA3 worked such long hours, with many reporting having a lack of work/life balance to be a leading cause.
The importance of social support
Little can make us feel more supported and heard than confiding in people who understand our exact struggles. Trying to explain to a parent or partner the rejection that comes with receiving negative reviewer comments doesn’t quite give the same sense of solidarity as complaining about reviewer two in the PhD office.
Being part of a community is vital for researchers’ wellbeing, with DTA3 alumni speaking of having a “profound sense of belonging” through participating in the cohort-based programme. The programme facilitated meaningful connections between students, allowing them to vent about struggles, not feel judged, and learn from the experiences of those further along in the journey.
Creating these social networks within universities can present challenges. The diverse demographic and research backgrounds of PhD students, and their dispersal across several different schools and departments, can hinder cohesive community-building efforts. While some universities have large postgraduate populations with robust support structures and an annual calendar of training events, smaller universities with limited resources may not be able to facilitate such support and opportunities.
Given the current financial climate, both universities and students are having to prioritise and stretch budgets, oftentimes with networking and social events being sacrificed, further isolating students.
However, there are sustainable and cost-effective strategies universities can implement to support students’ mental health and cultivate vibrant and inclusive postgraduate communities. Embracing remote-working preferences, virtual meetups, coffee mornings, and writing groups can offer students an accessible avenue to interact with their peers.
Cross-departmental events like seminars and workshops can not only expand students’ social circles but also encourage interdisciplinary collaboration. Cross-department collaboration can optimise resources, reduce duplication, and support the overall student experience.
Empowering student-led initiatives, such as peer mentoring programmes and representation roles, ensures that postgraduate student voices are heard and their needs addressed by those who understand them best. By prioritising these strategies, universities can build postgraduate communities in a financially sustainable way, while enriching student experience and supporting mental wellbeing.
The common denominator
The PhD supervisor tends to be the common denominator that makes or breaks a PhD journey (and the accompanying PhD student). Beyond providing crucial academic guidance and professional mentorship, supervisors often serve as supporters, helping students to navigate the inevitable trials and tribulations of completing a PhD.
Supervisors can support student mental wellbeing by establishing clear expectations and striking the right balance between professionalism and approachability. While direct mental health support isn’t expected, supervisors who create a nurturing environment, where students feel comfortable expressing their views and asking for help, witness lower levels of student isolation and higher mental wellbeing.
Our DTA3 students said that getting to know their supervisor as a person rather than only an academic was important in reducing power differentials. Opportunities like travelling together for conferences or meeting each other’s families helped to accelerate these personal connections.
Without wanting to add unqualified and unpaid emotional labour to a supervisor’s job description, it can’t be denied the significant influence supervisors play in PhD student’s mental health. Universities must acknowledge this and can support their academic staff by integrating education on emotional well-being into existing supervision training programmes.
This kind of training should include recognising signs of student distress, providing empathetic support, and referring students to university support services. Further, robust processes and structures must be established to safeguard students who have experienced poor treatment.
Completing a PhD is a journey of profound self-development and learning, but it is fraught with obstacles that constantly test a researcher’s mental stamina and resilience. Social isolation and volatile supervisor-student dynamics are common causes of poor student wellbeing during a PhD. But these can be resolved through fostering social networks and developing nurturing student-supervisor relationships.
There is no revelation that a PhD supervisor can make or break a student. What is sadly growing is an increased paucity of resilience in students and the apparent growth in expectations that a PhD will lead to mental health issues. It need not if a) you have the intellectual ability to undertake a PhD; b) you have the passion and determination to complete it; c) you have a good project and a strong supervisory team. You can still succeed if a) and b) apply though it may not be as enjoyable or rewarding.