Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Intrapersonal Wellbeing and the Academic Mental Health Crisis

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Wellbeing in Doctoral Education

Abstract

By synthesising literature from various studies, this chapter demonstrates that there is currently a mental health crisis in academia. Indeed, the authors highlight that academia has one of the highest incidences of mental illness when compared with other occupations. Furthermore, they discuss the factors that contribute to this mental health crisis, including work demands, the increasing pressure to compete for research funding and publish in high-impact journals, a lack of work–life balance, isolation, career and financial insecurity, interpersonal conflicts, and a lack of support systems. Therefore, the authors highlight the need for strategies that staff and students can incorporate into their own academic journeys to help them foster intrapersonal wellbeing.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 139.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 179.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 179.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2017). Mental health services – In brief 2017. Canberra, Australia: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barreira, P., Basilico, M., & Bolotnyy, V. (2018). Graduate student mental health: Lessons from American economics departments. Cambridge, MA: Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Economics: Harvard University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barry, K. M., Woods, M., Warnecke, E., Stirling, C., & Martin, A. (2018). Psychological health of doctoral candidates, study-related challenges and perceived performance. Higher Education Research and Development, 37(3), 468–483. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2018.1425979

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cahusac de Caux, B. (this volume). Chapter 11: Wax on, wax off: Maintaining confidence and overcoming anxiety. In L. Pretorius, L. Macaulay, & B. Cahusac de Caux (Eds.), Wellbeing in doctoral education: Insights and guidance from the student experience. Singapore, Singapore: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cornwall, J., Mayland, E. C., van der Meer, J., Spronken-Smith, R. A., Tustin, C., & Blyth, P. (2018). Stressors in early-stage doctoral students. Studies in Continuing Education, In Press, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/0158037X.2018.1534821

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Danna, K., & Griffin, R. W. (1999). Health and well-being in the workplace: A review and synthesis of the literature. Journal of Management, 25(3), 357–384. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0149-2063(99)00006-9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Edney, D. R. (2004). Mass media and mental illness: A literature review. Ontario, Canada: Canadian Mental Health Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Evans, T. M., Bira, L., Gastelum, J. B., Weiss, L. T., & Vanderford, N. L. (2018). Evidence for a mental health crisis in graduate education. Nature Biotechnology, 36(3), 282–284. https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt.4089

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garcia-Williams, A. G., Mofitt, L., & Kaslow, N. J. (2014). Mental health and suicidal behaviour among graduate students. Academic Psychiatry, 38(5), 554–560. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40596-014-0041-y

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gill, R., & Donaghue, N. (2015). Resilience, apps and reluctant individualism: Technologies of self in the neoliberal academy. Women’s Studies International Forum, 54, 91–99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wsif.2015.06.016

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goodwin, L., Ben-Zion, I., Fear, N. T., Hotopf, M., Stansfeld, S. A., & Wessely, S. (2013). Are reports of psychological stress higher in occupational studies? A systematic review across occupational and population based studies. PLoS One, 8(11), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0078693

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guthrie, S., Lichten, C. A., Van Belle, J., Ball, S., Knack, A., & Hofman, J. (2017). Understanding mental health in the research environment: A rapid evidence assessment. Cambridge, UK: RAND Corporation.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Han, X., Han, X., Luo, Q., Jacobs, S., & Jean-Baptiste, M. (2013). Report of a mental health survey among Chinese international students at Yale University. Journal of American College Health, 61(1), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2012.738267

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hassed, C., & Chambers, R. (2014). Mindful learning: Reduce stress and improve brain performance for effective learning. Wollombi, Australia: Exisle Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kinman, G. (2001). Pressure points: A review of research on stressors and strains in UK academics. Educational Psychology, 21(4), 473–492. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410120090849

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kinman, G. (2008). Work stressors, health and sense of coherence in UK academic employees. Educational Psychology, 28(7), 823–835. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410802366298

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lai, V. T. T. (this volume). Chapter 9: Struggling with mental illnesses before and during the PhD journey: When multiple treatments join the healing process. In L. Pretorius, L. Macaulay, & B. Cahusac de Caux (Eds.), Wellbeing in doctoral education: Insights and guidance from the student experience. Singapore, Singapore: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lau, R. W. K. (this volume). Chapter 6: You are not your PhD: Managing stress during doctoral candidature. In L. Pretorius, L. Macaulay, & B. Cahusac de Caux (Eds.), Wellbeing in doctoral education: Insights and guidance from the student experience. Singapore, Singapore: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lauber, C., Nordt, C., Braunschweig, C., & Rössler, W. (2006). Do mental health professionals stigmatize their patients? Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 113(Suppl. 429), 51–59. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0447.2005.00718.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Levecque, K., Anseel, F., De Beuckelaer, A., Van der Heyden, J., & Gisle, L. (2017). Work organization and mental health problems in PhD students. Research Policy, 46(4), 868–879. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2017.02.008

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mental Health First Aid Australia. (2017). Mental health first aid international manual (4th ed.). Parkville, Australia: Mental Health First Aid Australia.

    Google Scholar 

  • Muniroh, S. (this volume). Chapter 10: Maintaining emotional wellbeing for doctoral students: Indonesian students’ mechanism of thinking out loud. In L. Pretorius, L. Macaulay, & B. Cahusac de Caux (Eds.), Wellbeing in doctoral education: Insights and guidance from the student experience. Singapore, Singapore: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murray, C. J. L., Vos, T., Lozano, R., Naghavi, M., Flaxman, A. D., Michaud, C., … Lopez, A. D. (2012). Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for 291 diseases and injuries in 21 regions, 1990–2010: A systematic analysis for the global burden of disease study 2010. The Lancet, 380(9859), 2197–2223. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(12)61689-4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nature. (2018). Science careers and mental health: Support. Retrieved from https://www.nature.com/collections/gnlwffjgtr/support

  • Neff, K. (2003). Self-compassion: An alternative conceptualization of a healthy attitude toward oneself. Self and Identity, 2(2), 85–101. https://doi.org/10.1080/15298860309032

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pietikäinen, P. (2015). Madness: A history. Oxon, UK: Routledge.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Pretorius, L., & Ford, A. (2017). Mind-melds and other tricky business: Teaching threshold concepts in mental health preservice training. In E. Kendal & B. Diug (Eds.), Teaching medicine and medical ethics using popular culture (pp. 149–167). Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Schomerus, G., Schwahn, C., Holzinger, A., Corrigan, P. W., Grabe, H. J., Carta, M. G., & Angermeyer, M. C. (2012). Evolution of public attitudes about mental illness: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 125(6), 440–452. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0447.2012.01826.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shaw, C. (2014). Overworked and isolated – Work pressure fuels mental illness in academia. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/blog/2014/may/08/work-pressure-fuels-academic-mental-illness-guardian-study-health and https://static.guim.co.uk/ni/1399472932147/Mental-health-in-academia-s.pdf

  • The Graduate Assembly. (2014). Graduate student happiness and well-being report. Berkeley, CA: The Graduate Assembly of the University of California, Berkeley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tsai, J. W., & Muindi, F. (2016). Towards sustaining a culture of mental health and wellness for trainees in the biosciences. Nature Biotechnology, 34(3), 353–355. Retrieved from https://www.nature.com/articles/nbt.3490

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tzu, S. (1910). Sun Tzu on the art of war (Lionel Giles, Trans.). Leicester, UK: Allandale Online Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Utami, A. D. (this volume). Chapter 8: Walking a tightrope: Juggling competing demands as a PhD student and a mother. In L. Pretorius, L. Macaulay, & B. Cahusac de Caux (Eds.), Wellbeing in doctoral education: Insights and guidance from the student experience. Singapore, Singapore: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, S., & Cutri, J. (this volume). Chapter 7: Negating isolation and imposter syndrome through writing as product and as process: The impact of collegiate writing networks during a doctoral programme. In L. Pretorius, L. Macaulay, & B. Cahusac de Caux (Eds.), Wellbeing in doctoral education: Insights and guidance from the student experience. Singapore, Singapore: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Winefield, A. H., Gillespie, N., Stough, C., Dua, J., & Hapuarachchi, J. (2002). Occupational stress in Australian university staff. Melbourne, Australia: National Tertiary Education Union.

    Google Scholar 

  • Winefield, A. H., Gillespie, N., Stough, C., Dua, J., Hapuarachchi, J., & Boyd, C. (2003). Occupational stress in Australian university staff: Results from a national survey. International Journal of Stress Management, 10(1), 51–63. https://doi.org/10.1037/1072-5245.10.1.51

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Winefield, A. H., & Jarrett, R. (2001). Occupational stress in university staff. International Journal of Stress Management, 8(4), 285–298. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1017513615819

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Woolston, C. (2017). Graduate survey: A love-hurt relationship. Nature, 550(7677), 549–552. https://doi.org/10.1038/nj7677-549a

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organization. (2013). Investing in mental health: Evidence for action. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Vista Bhopti for sharing her clinical psychology expertise during the preparation of this chapter. We also acknowledge the MBio Discovery Scholarship that enabled Ricky Wai Kiu Lau to conduct his doctoral studies.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Ricky Wai Kiu Lau

  2. Faculty of Education, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia

    Lynette Pretorius

Authors
  1. Ricky Wai Kiu Lau
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lynette Pretorius
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lynette Pretorius .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Education, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia

    Lynette Pretorius  & Luke Macaulay  & 

  2. Faculty of Arts, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia

    Basil Cahusac de Caux

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Lau, R.W.K., Pretorius, L. (2019). Intrapersonal Wellbeing and the Academic Mental Health Crisis. In: Pretorius, L., Macaulay, L., Cahusac de Caux, B. (eds) Wellbeing in Doctoral Education. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-9302-0_5

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-9302-0_5

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-13-9301-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-13-9302-0

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation