A recent study revealed that 67 percent of graduate students at the University of California at Berkeley had “felt hopeless at least one in the last year,” while 54 percent felt “so depressed they had a hard time functioning” and 10 percent had considered suicide.
The study, sponsored by the American College Health Association, raises questions about the mental health of those dealing with the rigors of graduate school and what, if any, resources are available.
According to Dr. Robert Portnoy, director of Counseling and Psychological Services at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s University Health Center and chair-elect of ACHA, UNL participated in the same study.
For students in general, the numbers for UNL closely corresponded to UC-Berkeley’s, Portnoy wrote in an e-mail.
Although specific figures for UNL graduate students are unavailable, Portnoy said he expects the figures would be “unfortunately similar to those at UC Berkeley.”
The main factors contributing to graduate students’ stress are financial concerns, social isolation and the pressure of competition are the primary culprits haunting grad students.
And, perhaps surprisingly, graduate students are more at risk for depression and suicide simply because they’re older than undergraduates.
“In the U.S., suicide rates increase with age,” said Wylie Tene, public relations manager for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. “The common misconception is that teens and young adults are at highest risk (of suicide), when, in fact, the rates increase with age.”
When it comes to financial troubles, graduates often live from stipend check to stipend check.
“Graduate students tend to be in worse shape economically; many have no insurance, and they are consequently ‘living on the edge,’’ Portnoy said. “It does not take nearly as much to tip the scales to full-blown crisis, which can lead to depression.”
Nick Repak, founder of the National Graduate Student Crisis Line at GradResources.com, said many of the students whom he counsels suffer from adversarial relationships with faculty advisers.
“Being able to successfully defend (your work) in front of a committee, that can become difficult when someone on your committee doesn’t want to see you pass,” he said. “That challenge alone can just devastate a person.”
Because of the competitive nature of grad school, most grad students don’t seek help.
“Grad students fear weakness being known in their department,” Repak said.
Furthermore, the intensity and narrow focus of graduate work often leads to social isolation as students spend their hours teaching, prepping for classes or doing classwork.
Among graduate students, medical, dental, engineering and math students run the greatest risk of depression, Portnoy said.
“The hard sciences tend to attract some of the more socially isolated individuals, which, in turn, renders people more vulnerable to depression,” he said.
To maintain balance, grad students need to concentrate on their basic health and social needs.
“Time management, good sleep, hygiene, exercise, healthy diet and supportive relationships are the keys,” Portnoy said.
It’s also crucial that students balance academic commitments and “pleasurable, restorative activities,” such as spending time with friends, he said.
“There’s an acronym in psychology, ‘ARISE,’ that refers to ‘adaptive regression in the service of the ego,’” Portnoy said. “What this term suggests is that one needs to play as well as to work in order to function effectively.”
Another option is an online support group. GradResources.com offers an innovative online mentoring program designed to give grad students needed support.
In many cases, such as that of We“Suchitra,” a participant in Repak’s e-mentoring program, a little encouragement goes a long way.
“She was struggling with her program; she needed some extra encouragement, so we connected her with one of our e-mentors who walked through some of the struggles she faced,” Repak said. “She probably corresponded a dozen times with George.”
“He was always there when I needed suggestions and was very prompt, too,” Suchitra said on the Grad Resources Web site. “He never gave up on me like the others.”
If a friend’s depression persists and leads to such behavior as increased drug and alcohol use, disregard for appearance and expressing feelings of hopelessness, then it may be time to encourage him or her to call a suicide prevention line, experts said.
“If you think a friend is in need, encourage them to go to the counseling center,” Tene said. “Go with them for further support.”
He encouraged any person expressing suicidal thoughts to call the national crisis line 800-273-TALK. Friends can also call.
Finally, it’s important to remember that the pressures of grad school don’t last forever, Repak said.
“The pressures of graduate school do not reflect a student’s success potential,” he said. “The pressures are exaggerated at certain phases. If they can get help at these phases (and) get over that hump, then most students will make it.”
Study: Stress hits graduate students particularly hard
Survey finds many feel hopeless, consider suicide
Published: Monday, March 9, 2009
Updated: Monday, March 9, 2009
13 comments
the athenian army
Troy - You seem like rather an unpleasant young man to me, and I suspect you drink jaegermeister. Graduate school is designed to be challenging intellectually and professionally - it is not designed to be socially isolating, and it is morally wrong, and in many cases illegal, for graduate advisors or faculty members to abuse students. Advisors, in fact, are supposed to take an interest in the pastoral care of their students.And you should never, EVER abuse people (i.e. undergraduates) who are weaker than you and whom you are paid to teach and guide. That was not an amusing suggestion in the context of this discussion - it was a repellent one.You absolutely should not be allowed onto a faculty.And frankly, I doubt that, intellectually speaking, you yourself really cut it. I can tell from your prose. People who say things like "deal with it" in response to the mental distress of others rarely can cut it in science (banking, well that's a different crowd). Not to say that they cannot succeed in their scientific careers through the kind of tacit (or less tacit) bullying and political maneuvering that we are discussing. People like you often do better than real scientists! I've seen it.And I don't doubt that if you, personally, do succeed, then that will be how you do it. Or are you even studying a hard science at all? If not, don't waste our ****** time with things you don't understand. Try contributing to a competitive federal grant proposal worth several millions, and on which the future of your lab depends first. Then do it for an abusive, absentee PI who runs the institute you work at. Change advisor?? - what planet do you live on? You're an idiot, sir. Sorry, but you are. And I don't think you've experienced what you are talking about. So don't comment. I very much doubt you could walk the walk. And I'm almost certain that I could psychologically bully you to the point where you'd become very depressed. You make me so angry that I'd quite like to give it a go, although I never would (and yes, sir, I could).As scientists we are supposed to be *more* civilized than those less knowledgeable- not less. A young man who'd just been granted a fellowship at an oxford or cambridge college asked a senior fellow for advice. The older man (for this is an old tale) said to younger: "don't try to be cleverer than everyone else. Everyone here is clever. Just try to be kinder than everyone else".
Troy Wiegand
I find it amazing that so many supposed Ph.D. students can't recognize a sarcastic comment whe they read it. My god people grow up.Again if you can't hack grad school, leave. No one is forcing you to be here. If your advisor is an ass, then get a new one. If you are being discriminated against document what you are going through and file a lawsuit. For god's sakes people take responsibility for your own lives. Yes, there are a great deal of politics in acedemia, especially here at UNL. If you don't want to be part of it leave. If you stay, quit whining. Most faculty that act that way have inferiority complexes anyway and will back down if you stand up for yourself. I can think of two here in the chemistry department that fit descriptions given earlier, but I'm still here. So, in short, its your graduate career, take control of it. And as always keep abusing those undergrads.
Another PhD student
I am doctoral student returning to school after having had a successful previous career. Nothing however, could have prepared me for the numerous mind games and politics I have experienced in academia. Difficulties teaching, course work, study design, etc. all pale in comparison to the unbelievable lack of respect I have received from a number of faculty. While there are many good supportive faculty willing to help, others have no interest in helping students and some seem downright bent on destroying them. While I love the subject matter I am engaged in, I honestly question whether I want to continue playing this game as it is psychologically quite detrimental. Perhaps Mr. Wiegand should also consider getting out of the game since his advice to pass on the abuse to undergrads is sadistic at best and seems to clearly illustrate the topic of the article and validate what many of us seem to be expressing.
PhD Student
What this article and Dr. Portnoy don't discuss is how hard it is for grad students to get help when they need it. A friend of mine tried to get help on campus at CAPS and could not get help there because one of her students worked in the office. This isn't a matter of being sensitive or not up to snuff. If a student has personal information that could be compromised, the student is surely not going to seek help on campus. Many grad students don't feel comfortable even using the campus rec because of the discomfort of changing in the locker room or working out with students who they have to teach in the next hour. As the article states, grad students are vulnerable because of the unavailability of health insurance. Counseling and Psychiatric services are expensive with many sessions costing $50 or more per hour. Can a student barely making it on a stipend afford an extra $200/month?
The Graduate
Why were my comments removed? They were posted earlier, and there was nothing profane or off -color.
The Graduate
Gender discrimination goes both ways, it is dependent on how well you kiss up to a control-freak instructor. I had to deal with jerks with inflated egos that wouldn't waste much time with men, but will drop just about everything for the women that gave the instructor as much attention as the text book. I didn't see men get favored treatment, probably because engineering colleges tend to have more traditional lifestyles. I don't doubt there is a counter example showing gender bias the other way, but I'd bet if you look at personality traits without regard to what demographic they target, you'll find a consistent theme of power-hungry dorks enjoying the "God" role that goes with lording over their class.
The Graduate
Gender discrimination goes both ways, it is dependent on how well you kiss up to a control-freak instructor. I had to deal with jerks with inflated egos that wouldn't waste much time with men, but will drop just about everything for the women that gave the instructor as much attention as the text book. I didn't see men get favored treatment, probably because engineering colleges tend to have more traditional lifestyles. I don't doubt there is a counter example showing gender bias the other way, but I'd bet if you look at personality traits without regard to what demographic they target, you'll find a consistent theme of power-hungry dorks enjoying the "God" role that goes with lording over their class.
Does it matter?
Unfortunately, I am in the PhD program for Engineering. As a female, I have been asked to do administrative work by the department instead of working on research, and when I ask to conduct research, I certaintly get put in my place. I have gotten abusive emails from faculty and held back from progressing even though I have taken more than enough graduate credit hours. My male counterparts are treated better than me and get paid more. I talk with enough female engineering grad students in other Universities to know for a FACT that I am not alone. Female retention is a bunch of crap-- they obtain huge grants for these programs and say that the program is successful because I AM HERE. There is absolutely no support, and if you go to Grad Studies to complain, they tell you to resolve it on your own.Don't tell me I can't cut it-- I have been taking it for over 6 years! There needs to be some type of regulation put in place and not just what it says in your University's Student Bulletin that NEVER gets enforced! Most of the faculty in my field are foreign, so you tell me what their opinion is of women. I never had a chance!
Michelle
I have seriously considered committing suicide in graduate school because of the shameful politics that are played in the academic environment and the sociopath professors who only are interested in you in that you are there to help them publish, get tenure, etc. It isn't supposed to be an easy process. I, however, expected to be challenged academically, not messed with mentally. I am not the same person that I was before grad. school. I have an advanced degree now, but unfortunately, I know what real mental illness is firsthand and I am still trying to recover. I'm not sure I ever will. Maybe in time.
nameless in California
Grad school presents immense interrelated intellectual and psychological challenges, but it should not be abusive. Each individual brings a unique set of life experiences and the grad school experience is different for each. Abuse is unwarranted in higher education. The world that Mr. Wiegand presents is unfortunate. The role of higher education in society is to preserve, transmit, and advance knowledge, not to abuse individuals for personal satisfaction. I, personally, would rather view the challenges of grad school as an opportunity to develop intellectual toughness. Sometimes that opportunity requires the assistance of other people when the going gets rough. I sure hope I don't meet too many people like Mr. Wiegand -- his brand of irony is a bit tough. I suspect his strategy is to discourage the competition.
Your name
Yeah been through that. It was horrible. But it usually happens because students come accross people like those two who commented before I did. Also in some cases grad students usually don't talk to each other and don't realize that what they go trhough is normal. Once they do, they handle it better.
m111
Wow Troy~ tax dollars hard at work, huh? I'd think the onus lies with administration to select *qualified* applicants. Why let in the ppl who can't cut it? And why in the h*** would a program what some student they can't be bothered to support? An adverserial advisor is just threatened and insecure.
Troy Wiegand
Its graduate school. Its supposed to be hard. If it wasn't every idiot would have a Ph.D. If you can't deal with it then you shouldn't be here. You don't have a right to feel good all the time. Deal with it and move on. If you really feel that bad remember you can always abuse the undergrads you're TAing for.
