Overview
Since 2010, enrollment in graduate programs (both master’s and doctoral) has increased by over 9% [1]. Unlike what is typically found at the baccalaureate level, graduate study carries a unique set of stressors and demands and requires the navigation of complex relationships with faculty advisors, who, in many circumstances, are responsible for guiding and critiquing graduate students along their prolonged educational journeys. Indeed, graduate study often involves challenging coursework, skill development in practical settings (e.g., a laboratory or fieldwork), assisting or leading the teaching of undergraduates and outside work, and financial and familial concerns [2].
Not surprisingly, all these factors have led to what has been deemed a crisis of mental health among graduate students today. Indeed, the latest results of the American College Health Association’s National College Health Assessment (NCHA) from the Spring of 2023 showed that over one-third of the 20,000 respondents indicated having “problems or challenges” with academics and over two-thirds (68.8%) rated highly enough on a self-report measure to quality as being under either moderate or serious psychological distress [3].
Mental Health Initiatives in Academia
Despite repeated studies identifying the ongoing mental health challenges experienced by graduate students, there are still few national initiatives in place to provide mental health support tailored to postsecondary education. This ongoing problem is exemplified by a piece published in Nature in 2022 that relayed the mental health journeys of two former PhD students [4], who are now successful early-career scientists. In particular, the authors speak to the importance of finding the right fit with an advisor as well as seeking (and accepting) support from others. Thus, for now, open discussion and acknowledgment that there is an issue seems to be step one. If campuses do not have adequate resources, staffing, or facilities to provide immediate assistance for students under duress, it should be noted that in the United States dialing “988” is the dedicated mental health corollary of “911”. Alternatively, the National Grad Crisis Line 1-877-GRAD-HELP (i.e., 877-472-3457) is a free hotline that is staffed around the clock with counselors trained in the unique circumstances and travails of graduate students.
Given the lack of national, organized initiatives, the responsibility for recognizing and working to assuage burnout among graduate students falls to faculty advisors. However, this is not just a responsibility by default, as studies repeatedly show that the strongest predictor of graduate student success and satisfaction is the nature and strength of the relationship of faculty advisor and student [5].
Graduate Students and Mental Health
In their systematic study of the mental health of master’s and PhD students, Evans and colleagues [6] reported that the incidence of anxiety and depression was six-times greater for this cohort than the general population. These issues, which were pervasive before the COVID-19 pandemic, skyrocketed during the period of quarantine, social distancing, and increased uncertainty about the future [7]. High levels of stress, as are routinely reported, lead to burnout among graduate students, which has a negative impact on mental health. The relationship between higher levels of stress, increased presence of symptoms of anxiety and depression, and burnout is well established [8] and importantly, this relationship has been shown to be significantly moderated by satisfaction with one’s graduate advisor [9], meaning that a good graduate student-faculty advisor relationship can reduce the severity of stress and attenuate burnout.
Faculty Advisor Roles and Responsibilities
Given the importance of the faculty-graduate-student relationship, it is essential to consider the various “hats” that faculty advisors must wear to guide graduate students successfully. Faculty advisor roles include being a [10]:
- Programmatic Guide
- Professional Guide
- Instructor
- Mentor
As a programmatic guide, faculty are expected to be knowledgeable of and help students navigate program, department, and university requirements, policies, and procedures. Similarly, faculty should introduce and initiate students into the professional community (and its norms) of their discipline. This includes behaviors such as modeling collegiality and providing networking opportunities. Of the four roles, that of instructor is the most straightforward as it involves the facilitation of the passage of knowledge and skill development from the faculty member to the student. Though it can be the most similar to that of instructor and student as manifest in undergraduate classrooms, the evaluative function of this role can impact others.
Mentorship, as a role, is often conflated with that of acting as an advisor, however, it should be noted that the role of mentor as used here and elsewhere [11], is one that is inherently positive and student-focused. Advising, unlike mentorship, can be a negative or neutral experience and indeed, the three roles already discussed can exist negatively, positively, or neutrally. Mentorship entails an active and deliberate set of behaviors and attitudes that stem from a desire to do what is in the best interest of a student’s development and maturation. This approach considers the gestalt of who the student is, what they desire, and their strengths, challenges, and opportunities for growth. This role is the one most associated with graduate student mental health as evidenced by studies showing that of those graduate students who met diagnostic criteria for depression or anxiety, higher percentages disagreed with statements related to the authenticity, strength, and positivity of their mentorship by their graduate advisors than those not meeting the criteria [6].
Regardless of the role, a critical characteristic for an advisor to have, from the point of view of graduate students, is to be an able, clear, and frequent communicator [12]. This communication extends to the setting of clear expectations, for example by articulating exactly what the faculty member and the student expect from a mentor:mentee (or advisor:student) relationship. Find sample worksheets for use by faculty in their graduate student mentoring roles.
Peer Support Networks for Graduate Students
In ideal circumstances, the mentor-mentee relationship is one of continual progression, whereby the student gradually gains more and more independence from the faculty advisor as they demonstrate greater knowledge and increased mastery over their field of study. Because of the many facets of this relationship, not the least of which is a power differential whereby the student is continually evaluated by the mentor, it is critical that multiple support structures are available to graduate students [14]. In a review of forty-seven studies from industrialized nations, including the United States, the efficacy of peer networks and collaboration for graduate student well-being was confirmed, particularly for reducing academic anxiety and feelings of being overwhelmed [15]. Collaboration with peers can reduce feelings of isolation, which can also negatively impact mental health [16]. Some of the many ways that peer relationships help graduate students is by providing:
- A sense of community
- Safety and support
- Feelings of value and appreciation
- Validation
- Additional source(s) of motivation
- Concrete role expectations
Additionally, social support, as exemplified through peer networks, can mitigate some negative mediators of graduate student depression [17]. For students who don’t feel comfortable availing themselves of well-being resources or interfacing with students at their institution, there are some private organizations that provide access to large communities of graduate students from across the globe (e.g. https://phdsuccess.eu/), which may be preferable to interacting with students at one’s own institution and can be helpful in reinforcing that the complexities and challenges of graduate study are universal.
Summary
The pervasiveness of issues with graduate student mental health is a serious concern. Though there aren’t widespread, funded initiatives aimed at ameliorating this issue, research has shown that when faculty advisors are perceived as being positive and supportive (i.e. mentors), this can be instrumental in reducing the onset and severity of burnout and symptoms associated with depression and anxiety. Furthermore, social networks comprised of peers can provide additional support and camaraderie throughout graduate study, which is challenging by nature and can oftentimes feel isolating.
References
1. National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). 2023. “Postbaccalaureate Enrollment.” Accessed March 8, 2024.
2. Bekkouche, Nadine S., Richard F. Schmid, and Saul Carliner. 2022. “‘Simmering Pressure’: How Systemic Stress Impacts Graduate Student Mental Health.” Performance Improvement Quarterly 34(4):547-72. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/piq.21365
3. American College Health Association (ACHA). 2023. “Graduate/Professional Student Reference Group: Executive Summary Spring 2023.” Accessed March 8, 2024.
4. Murguía Burton, Zachary F., and Xiangkun Elvis Cao. 2022. “Navigating mental health challenges in graduate school.” Nature Reviews Materials 7(6):421-3.
5. Tompkins, Kelley A., Kierra Brecht, Brock Tucker, Lucia L. Neander, and Joshua K. Swift. 2016. “Who Matters Most? The Contribution of Faculty, Student-Peers, and Outside Support in Predicting Graduate Student Satisfaction.” Training and Education in Professional Psychology 10(2):102-8.
6. Evans, Teresa M., Lindsay Bira, Jazmin Beltran Gastelum, L. Todd Weiss, and Nathan L. Vanderford. 2018. “Evidence for a mental health crisis in graduate education.” Nature Biotechnology 36(3):282-4.
7. Woolston, Chris. 2020. “Signs of depression and anxiety soar among US graduate students during pandemic.” Nature, August 18.
8. Iacovides, Apostolos, Konstantinos N. Fountoulakis, St Kaprinis, and George Kaprinis. 2003. “The relationship between job stress, burnout and clinical depression.” Journal of Affective Disorders 75(3):209-21.
9. Allen, Hannah K., Flavius Lilly, Kerry M. Green, Faika Zanjani, Kathryn B. Vincent, and Amelia M. Arria. 2022. “Substance use and mental health problems among graduate students: Individual and program-level correlates.” Journal of American College Health 70(1):65-73.
10. Knox, Sarah, Lewis Z. Schlosser, Nathan T. Pruitt, and Clara E. Hill. 2006. “A Qualitative Examination of Graduate Advising Relationships: The Advisor Perspective.” The Counseling Psychologist 34(4):489-518.
11. Schlosser, Lewis Z., Heather Z. Lyons, Regine M. Talleyrand, Bryan S.K. Kim, and W. Brad Johnson. 2011. “Advisor-Advisee Relationships in Graduate Training Programs.” Journal of Career Development 38(1):3-18.
12. Taylor, Rosemarye T., Thomas Vitale, Colton Tapoler, and Kari Whaley. 2018. “Desirable qualities of modern doctorate advisors in the USA: a view through the lenses of candidates, graduates, and academic advisors.” Studies in Higher Education 43(5):854-66.
13. Case Western Reserve University. 2018. “A Mentoring Guidebook for Faculty.” Accessed March 8, 2024.
14. Roberts, Nella A., and Maria S. Plakhotnik. 2009. “Building social capital in the academy: The nature and function of support systems in graduate adult education.” New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education 2009(122):43-52.
15. Lorenzetti, Diane L., Leah Shipton, Lorelli Nowell, Michele Jacobsen, Liza Lorenzetti, Tracey Clancy, and Elizabeth Oddone Paolucci. 2019. “A systematic review of graduate student peer mentorship in academia.” Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning 27(5):549-76.
16. Oddone Paolucci, Elizabeth, Michele Jacobsen, Lorelli Nowell, Georgina Freeman, Liza Lorenzetti, Tracey Clancy, Alessandra Paolucci, Helen Pethrick, and Diane L. Lorenzetti. 2021. “An exploration of graduate student peer mentorship, social connectedness and well-being across four disciplines of study.” Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education 12(1):73-88.
17. Charles, Susan T., Melissa M. Karnaze, and Frances M. Leslie. 2022. “Positive factors related to graduate student mental health.” Journal of American College Health 70(6):1858-66.
