Study sheds new light on postgraduate researchers’ wellbeing

Postgraduate researchers at UK universities suffer from high rates of mental ill-health, with female, non-binary and LGBTQ+ communities faring particularly badly, new research suggests. The findings, published in the journal Current Psychology , are drawn from a survey of 479 postgraduate researchers (PGRs) working at 48 UK universities. The study, led by researchers from the University of Glasgow, asked respondents to report their experience of subjective wellbeing, as well as symptoms of anxiety, depression, insomnia and suicidal thoughts. They were also asked for their feedback on the research culture of their universities, their social support networks, and how closely they identified with personal characteristics like workaholism and perfectionism. The study revealed that close to a quarter of respondents (23%) had considered suicide or self-harm in the past two weeks, with 22% reporting that they had actually planned their suicide. 5% had already attempted to take their own lives at some point in the past. Among those who reported suicidal ideation, people who identified as bisexual or other were at significantly elevated risk of suicide, as were those who reported having workaholic or perfectionist traits, and those in their fifth year of study or above.