A study into the mental health of PhD students in Australia: investigating the determinants of depression, anxiety, and suicidality

Lia Mills, Gemma J.M. Read, Jake E. Bragg, Brendan T. Hutchinson, Jolene A. Cox*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to JournalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

PhD students are particularly vulnerable to experiencing poor mental health. Mental health concerns that arise during their studies can not only affect their study progress but also have long-lasting impacts on their mental health after their studies. Extensive research has been conducted on the mental health of university students, but few studies have focused on PhD students and even fewer on PhD students in Australia. The present study investigated demographic, occupational, psychological, social, and relational determinants of mental health symptoms (depression, anxiety, and suicidality) in PhD students in Australia. PhD students enrolled in Australian universities were invited to complete an online survey. Results from regression analyses identified key determinants of mental health symptoms in our sample of PhD students (N = 302). In particular, higher levels of imposter thoughts, perfectionism discrepancy, and loneliness were strong predictors of depression, anxiety, and suicidality. These findings contribute to our understanding of the mental health of PhD students in Australia. Importantly, these findings inform areas of focus where potential strategies can be implemented to better protect the mental health of this population. For example, strategies that mitigate loneliness or foster effective, collaborative student-supervisor relationships.

Original languageEnglish
Article number22636
Pages (from-to)1-12
Number of pages12
JournalScientific Reports
Volume14
Early online date30 Sept 2024
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2024.

Funding

This research was supported by the University of the Sunshine Coast DVCRI Internal Funding Program, SPARK (awarded to J.A.C.).

FundersFunder number
University of the Sunshine Coast

    Keywords

    • Anxiety
    • Depression
    • Higher education
    • Mental health
    • PhD students
    • Suicidality

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