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 language | English |
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Article number | 22636 |
Pages (from-to) | 1-12 |
Number of pages | 12 |
Journal | Scientific Reports |
Volume | 14 |
Early online date | 30 Sept 2024 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 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.).
Funders | Funder number |
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University of the Sunshine Coast |
Keywords
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Higher education
- Mental health
- PhD students
- Suicidality