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Management of Stress and Anxiety Among PhD Students During Thesis Writing: A Qualitative Study
Abstract
Today, postgraduate students experience a variety of stresses and anxiety in different situations of academic cycle. Stress and anxiety have been defined as a syndrome shown by emotional exhaustion and reduced personal goal achievement. This article addresses the causes and different strategies of coping with this phenomena by PhD students at Iranian Universities of Medical Sciences. The study was conducted by a qualitative method using conventional content analysis approach. Through purposive sampling, 16 postgraduate medical sciences PhD students were selected on the basis of theoretical sampling. Data were gathered through semistructured interviews and field observations. Six hundred fifty-four initial codes were summarized and classified into 4 main categories and 11 subcategories on the thematic coding stage dependent on conceptual similarities and differences. The obtained codes were categorized under 4 themes including " thesis as a major source of stress, " " supervisor relationship, " " socioeconomic problem, " and " coping with stress and anxiety." It was concluded that PhD students experience stress and anxiety from a variety of sources and apply different methods of coping in effective and ineffective ways. Purposeful supervision and guidance can reduce the cause of stress and anxiety; in addition, coping strategy must be in a thoughtful approach, as recommended in this study
... Neste estudo, houve predominância de estratégias focadas na emoção (Bazrafkan et al., 2016;Ogunsanya et al., 2018). Foram citados mecanismos que visam reduzir a ansiedade e estresse, como a utilização de internet, música e filmes para distração e a comunicação afetiva com familiar ou amigo (Bazrafkan et al., 2016). ...
... Neste estudo, houve predominância de estratégias focadas na emoção (Bazrafkan et al., 2016;Ogunsanya et al., 2018). Foram citados mecanismos que visam reduzir a ansiedade e estresse, como a utilização de internet, música e filmes para distração e a comunicação afetiva com familiar ou amigo (Bazrafkan et al., 2016). resultando em situações estressoras que exigem um maior potencial de desenvolvimento psicológico (Faro, 2013;Levecque et al., 2017). ...
... Os fatores como indisponibilidade de tempo, recursos financeiros, questões de supervisão, desempenho e demandas do curso foram apontados como principais estressores acadêmicos (Faro, 2013). Foram citados, também, aspectos relacionados à escrita da tese e ao relacionamento com o orientador (Bazrafkan et al., 2016). (Cesar et al., 2018). ...
Este artigo objetiva identificar a produção científica disponível sobre as estratégias de coping utilizadas por estudantes de pós-graduação stricto sensu diante do estresse acadêmico e verificar os fatores associados a elas. Trata-se de revisão integrativa da literatura realizada em maio de 2021 a partir das bases de dados Medline via PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, LILACS e Web of Science. Utilizou-se os descritores psychological stress, psychological adaptation e postgraduate students. Incluiu-se artigos disponíveis na íntegra em meio eletrônico, sem delimitação de ano de publicação ou idioma. Identificou-se três artigos. Os estudos foram realizados no Irã, Brasil, e o terceiro em doi países, Estados Unidos e Canadá, todos de delineamento transversal e com 66% de abordagem quantitativa, com discussões acerca das estratégias focadas na emoção e no problema. As principais estratégias utilizadas diante da ocorrência de estresse acadêmico foram baseadas em coping focado na emoção.
... A12 (24) Identificar as causas e diferentes estratégias de enfrentamento ao estresse e à ansiedade entre doutorandos de medicina. ...
... Estudantes do 3º e 4º anos relataram níveis de estresse e pontuações de Burnout mais altos. Em predominância, os estudos se concentraram entre pós-graduandos em medicina (13,19,(21)(22)(24)(25)28) , enfermagem (23,53%) (14,17,23,26) e psicologia (17,65%) (15)(16)29) , tanto em relação aos programas clínicos de residência quanto aos cursos de mestrado e doutorado nessas áreas. ...
... Os estudos avaliaram os níveis de estresse (13,28) , identificaram fatores estressores e de proteção (14,24) , investigaram a relação dos estudantes com situações de estresse (15)(16)(17)19,(26)(27) , determinaram os níveis de burnout e sua relação com o estresse (18,23,27) , examinaram o conhecimento acerca dos serviços de saúde mental e aconselhamento (20) , além de comparar o estresse entre os estudantes de pós-graduação, graduação e população em geral (21)(22)25,29) . ...
Objective: to analyze scientific evidence on factorsrelated to psychological stress among postgraduatestudents. Methodology: integrative review carried outin the databases Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online, Scopus, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Nursing Database, bibliographic index Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences and Bibliographic Index Español en Ciencias de la Salud. The controlled descriptors Estudantes/Students, Estresse Psicológico/Stress, Psychological and Educação dePós-Graduação/Education, Graduate were used. Results: the final sample consisted of 17 studies which showed that postgraduate students have high stress levels and that the related symptoms negatively affected the student’s relationship with the course. Difficulties in time management and the high demands of the programs were identified as main predictors of stress. Conclusion: the synthesis revealed that difficulties in reconciling time with leisure activities and the program’s demands, inattention to to personal life, curricularrequirements, insecurity in relation to the professionalfuture, financial problems linked to the costs of self-financing their research, imbalances in relationship with advisors and reduced time for family and friends are all factors related to psychological stress among postgraduate students.
... Apart from that, some recent studies have demonstrated that in addition to the challenges above, many PhD candidates undergo psychological disturbances like stress symptoms, anxiety, and even depression during their academic life at college and worsen during thesis writing (Asif et al., 2020;Bazrafkan et al., 2016). Some evidence available, especially in recent decades, has revealed high levels of these aforementioned cognitive disturbances (stress and anxiety/uncertainty) brooded by tertiary students from different disciplines. ...
... It is generally believed that PhD manifest more signs of stress and anxiety than in other stages of their academic life, particularly during thesis writing and supervision. It is asserted that various factors and reasons are bonded to such a process in which thesis supervisors, personal time, work field, part-time jobs, role conflict, and social support are pointed out to be among other significant reasons advanced by students to be the leading cause of the problem (Bazrafkan et al., 2016). Furthermore, to our knowledge, no study has explored differences in the evaluative viewpoints of PhD students related to challenges and supervisors regarding the different aspects/factors audited above. ...
... In other words, 60% of respondents experienced the feeling of stress grounded by the current pandemic whereas the rest 90% felt stressed about expanding graduation times. Our findings concurred with the ones conducted by Bazrafkan et al., (2016) who found thesis writing to be a staple determinant of stress and anxiety commotions, the no networking and interaction between supervisor and students, and so forth. In tandem, Ergin & Şahan (2021) put their interest into seeking and examining generic issues mostly experienced by postgraduate nursing students at the thesis stage in distance learning, especially during the contemporary pandemic of the coronavirus. ...
PhD students often encounter significant challenges, stress, and anxiety throughout their academic journey, particularly in their final year. This study explores the common difficulties faced by PhD students conducting thesis research at Chinese universities, focusing on their experiences with online supervision during the COVID-19 pandemic. A survey was conducted with ten full-time PhD students from selected Chinese universities, utilizing a combination of scaled, closed, and open-ended questions. The results indicate that students faced considerable challenges during online supervision, mainly due to inadequate funding and irregular, delayed supervisor feedback. Significant sources of stress and anxiety included thesis writing, supervisor relationships, and socioeconomic issues. However, adequate supervision, timely feedback, and purposeful guidance were found to mitigate these challenges. The study concludes that online supervision during the pandemic has intensified the difficulties faced by PhD students, negatively impacting the quality of their research and completion rates. To improve the supervision process, students recommended enhancing communication, increasing supervisor accessibility, and providing prompt feedback to support timely dissertation completion.
... The economic disparity compared to peers who have entered the workforce contributes to a pervasive "sense of failure." (Bazrafkan et al., 2016;Charles et al., 2022) } Peer pressure, conflicts, and negative feedback from colleagues can lead to distraction from scientific research. Unconscious comparisons and consolation may exacerbate feelings of incompetence and anxiety (Zhong et al., 2011;Hazell et al., 2020).~Cultural ...
... This suggests a lack of judgment ability, metacognitive skills, and awareness of seeking external help. Additionally, the professional type and identity developed during undergraduate studies serve as predisposing factors for anxiety (Bazrafkan et al., 2016;Van Laethem et al., 2016). y Enabling Factors: Enabling factors directly or indirectly influence the environment and the manifestation of target behaviors. ...
... Engaging in activities like talking with friends, eating, watching TV, socializing, exercising, sleeping, aromatherapy, drinking, shopping, smoking, massage, seeking treatment, meditation, yoga, and taking medication may offer only temporary relief from stress. Without addressing the underlying stressor, the sense of worry is likely to re-emerge soon (Bazrafkan et al., 2016). Existing research has not specifically focused on doctoral students utilizing exercise as a means to alleviate anxiety. ...
To gain a better understanding of the factors that contribute to anxiety among PhD students and the reasons for poor regulation in the current situation, this paper analyses the existing literature on anxiety among PhD students using Green's model. It also compares and evaluates various methods of regulating anxiety. The literature review to extract information on the causes and levels of anxiety, methods and outcomes of anxiety intervention and regulation, and to make comparisons. The study reveals that the phenomenon of PhD students' anxiety has intensified globally in recent years, especially after the end of the epidemic. PhD students experience anxiety due to research pressure, economic pressure, future development, and interpersonal pressure. The main influencing factors are currently the relationship with the supervisor, development prospects, social support, and peer comparison. Among the stress relief methods, the regulation of self-relaxation was found to have better effects on mild anxiety, such as positive thinking, meditation, yoga and physical exercise can be helpful for emotion release then help focus on problem solved. Whereas severe anxiety may require institutional and pharmacological support, also including using psychological therapy such as behavioral cognitive therapy and systematic desensitization methods. For university, competence to provide course-assisted guidance, such as writing groups, peer support, and time management, is also important. Academic communities should pay attention to the guidance on academic fairness. However, PhD students are often unaware of the resources available to them for coping with stress and may not take the initiative to seek psychological counseling or institutional assistance. Therefore, PhD students should receive support from various sources, be guided to express their thoughts, and receive additional education and academic assistance to manage stress. This will enhance their confidence and aid in improving their scientific research.
... However, there are a number of studies that have examined this issue. Practically writing and submitting the thesis has been identified as one of the key sources of stress in doctoral candidates [13]. It is inarguably a gargantuan task, and the magnitude of the task itself can trigger debilitating feelings of anxiety [14]. ...
... Perfectionism, impostor syndrome, and writing anxiety can all result in catastrophic issues with procrastination. This inevitably leads to issues with time management and threatens the ability of the candidate to complete and submit the thesis [13,14]. Doctoral candidates are prone to procrastination and can struggle when the organization of thesis writing is largely left to be driven by themselves without definitive deadlines for drafts [13]. ...
... This inevitably leads to issues with time management and threatens the ability of the candidate to complete and submit the thesis [13,14]. Doctoral candidates are prone to procrastination and can struggle when the organization of thesis writing is largely left to be driven by themselves without definitive deadlines for drafts [13]. In these cases, supportive and structured intervention from supervisors and mentors in encouraging writing little but often is advised to help the doctoral candidate focus and be confident in the writing of their thesis [21]. ...
Definition
Completion and final examination comprise the final stages of a doctoral program and represent the culmination of the doctoral candidates’ years of research. In this entry, completion is defined as the writing and submission of a doctoral thesis, and final examination is defined as the viva voce. Over the years, the format and scope of doctoral degrees has expanded and a variety of formats are now offered. In addition to the traditional research-only doctoral degree, professional, practice-based, and new route programs also contain a taught element alongside research. However, the creation of a substantive thesis or practice-based alternative addressing a novel research question is common to all. In contrast, processes and formats of viva voces vary across the globe. These range from private, closed-door defenses to assessed or ritualistic public defense presentations. For both completion and final examination, there are many practical and psychological hurdles that need to be navigated in order for the candidate to attain their doctoral degree. This entry will highlight these aspects as well as provide evidence-based guidance for supervisors in supporting their doctoral candidates through these daunting final stages.
... This group also includes those who discuss wellbeing in opposition to "stress" (e.g. Bazrafkan et al., 2016;Ramos & Torres-Fernandez, 2020); "burnout" (e.g. Clark et al., 2009;Sorrel et al., 2020), and "depression" and "anxiety" (Liu et al., 2019). ...
... Cornwall et al., 2019;Liu et al., 2019). Other areas for mental health training are related to the acquisition of skills to cope with difficulties and improve their mental health such as metacognitive skills (critical thinking and problem solving) (Bazrafkan et al., 2016), resilience (Gonz alez-Betancor & Dorta-Gonz alez, 2020; Sorrel et al., 2020), coping strategies (Haynes et al., 2012), mindfulness and relaxation practices (Hish et al., 2020;Pervez et al., 2021), conflict management with PhD supervisors (Hunter & Devine, 2016), dealing with career uncertainty (Marais et al., 2018) and job expectations (Levecque et al., 2017) Gonzalez et al. (2021) highlight the importance of offering special programs for vulnerable or minority students. ...
... Authors mention that departments should support PhD students during their process (Sverdlik & Hall, 2020) by recognizing them as members of the community (Stubb et al., 2011); offering institutional support (Schwoerer et al., 2021); developing policies for PhD students, especially ethnic minorities, in order to build a sense of belonging (Ramos & Torres-Fernandez, 2020); and improving the work environments by creating a collegial atmosphere (Holahan, 1979;McAlpine et al., 2020) and a positive culture that makes the department a safe space for PhD students (Al & Stockley, 2020). PhD supervision is also a very popular area of improvement (N = 18) and a highly important variable for PhD student success and thesis completion (Bazrafkan et al., 2016;Hunter & Devine, 2016). Some proposals advocate for training initiatives to help PhD supervisors improve their practices and learn better strategies for supporting students (Berry et al., 2021;Wang et al., 2019). ...
The pursuit of a doctoral degree is a challenging process that can have a negative impact on the wellbeing of PhD students. Therefore, the aim here is to offer a systematic review of the current state of the literature on wellbeing among PhD students and the variables it involves in order to build an integrative model that will enrich future research. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) methodology for systematic reviews has been used to lay out the process in a flow diagram. We systematically review studies up to 2021 ( N = 38) published on the Web of Science and SCOPUS databases. The results show the current state of the literature on wellbeing in PhD students, the characteristics of the studies (location, study design, and sample), how the literature defines the concept, the variables involved, the study limitations, and future perspectives to improve the quality of life of doctoral students. Finally, a comprehensive approach to the topic is presented in an integrative model that encompasses all variables identified in the literature and offers a guide for future research.
... Studies on doctoral mental health reveal that doctoral researchers face more tasks and responsibilities than ordinary employees. They often extend their working hours to evenings and weekends to assist or coordinate research projects, teach courses, earn a living, and work on their doctoral dissertation [5,10]. Their numerous work demands, such as assimilating scientific theories, generating ideas, managing data collection, data analysis, scientific writing, and reporting progress, can contribute to lower emotional wellbeing [11,12] and increased occupational stress [3,5]. ...
... Accordingly, doctoral researchers' psychological distress is described and measured as the presence of anxiety, depression, and stress, resulting from heavy research workloads [3,5]. Doctoral anxiety involves heightened apprehension, worry, and fear, often accompanied by feelings of restlessness and fear of academic failure [10]. Doctoral depression involves persistently feeling down, hopeless, and disinterested in doctoral activities that were once enjoyable. ...
... It can manifest itself in a lack of motivation and difficulty engaging or remaining focused on a doctoral task [26]. Lastly, doctoral stress is experienced in feelings of overwhelm, irritability, and physical symptoms such as agitation and tension due to academic expectations [3,10]. ...
Challenges faced by doctoral researchers led to a concerning “doctoral mental health crisis” within academia. Recognizing the pressing need to address mental health concerns, notably among doctoral students, the Quebec Ministry of Higher Education introduced the Higher Education Student Mental Health Action Plan 2021–2026. One potentially relevant intervention approach is the implementation of tailored structured writing retreats for graduate students. Aiming to measure and explain the effects of participating to a three-day writing retreat on doctoral mental health, this study followed an explanatory sequential mixed method, including an experimental design. One hundred doctoral researchers were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (n = 50) or the waitlist control trial group (n = 50). Both groups answered a questionnaire comprising validated scales and open-ended questions at different timepoints, separated by a two-week gap. Results reveal that writing retreats reduced doctoral researchers’ psychological distress and improved their psychological, emotional, and social wellbeing. Among the multiple writing retreat aspects evaluated, only productivity experienced, as well as socialization/networking opportunities, acted as predictors for all doctoral mental health measures. Qualitative findings further supported the importance of perceived productivity and socialization/networking in promoting doctoral mental health. Recommendations are provided for fostering a supportive research work environment for doctoral researchers.
... Estrés autopercibido En cuanto a la elaboración del proyecto de tesis (investigación), un estudio cualitativo concluyó que los estudiantes tienden a percibir el proceso como una fuente importante de estrés (Bazrafkan, Shokrpour, Yousefi, & Yamani, 2016). ...
... De manera que estos factores pueden potenciar el desempeño del estudiante (Liu, 2014). En cuanto a la elaboración del proyecto de tesis, un estudio cualitativo concluyó que los estudiantes tienden a percibir el proceso como una fuente importante de estrés (Bazrafkan, Shokrpour, Yousefi, & Yamani, 2016). Esto específicamente en cuanto a: ...
... Finalmente, la falta de retroalimentación se refiere a los limitados comentarios que el tesista recibe de su asesor (Bazrafkan, Shokrpour, Yousefi, & Yamani, 2016). ...
Research is one of the fundamental pillars of higher education and psychological
sciences. Therefore, this research aims to analyze the perceptions and determinants of the attitude towards scientific research in students at the School of Psychological Sciences of the National Autonomous University of Honduras, in the third academic period of the year 2020. This included the comparison of such constructs between undergraduate and graduate students. To this end, the present study was framed under a mixed approach, which integrated quantitative and qualitative aspects. The quantitative study had a non-experimental, cross-sectional, explanatory design, while the qualitative component of the research will follow a phenomenological design. The quantitative sample included a total of 137 students from the School of Psychological Sciences, of whom 104 were enrolled in the last year of the undergraduate degree and 33 to graduate degrees in psychology. On the other hand, interviews were conducted with 18 psychology students and 4 university professors. The quantitative results indicate that positive significant independent variables include satisfaction with the Research Methodology/Thesis Seminar classes, empirical epistemic orientation, reflexive openness and the number of research methodology courses completed. On the other hand, intuitive epistemic orientation has a significant negative effect on the attitude towards research. Qualitative results suggest that students form a predominantly positivist concept of science. They value research as an important and necessary process for considering psychology as a science. Sometimes negative attitudes towards research are explained by students' aversion to statistics. These results are discussed in light of their implications in the field of teaching psychology in higher education.// La investigación es uno de los pilares fundamentales de la Educación Superior y de
las Ciencias Psicológicas. Por lo tanto, esta investigación tuvo como objetivo
analizar las percepciones y determinantes de la actitud hacia la investigación
científica en estudiantes de la Escuela de Ciencias Psicológicas de la Universidad
Nacional Autónoma de Honduras, en el tercer período académico del año 2020.
Esto incluyó la comparación de tales constructos entre estudiantes de grado y
posgrado. Para ello, el presente estudio se enmarcó bajo un enfoque mixto, que
integró aspectos cuantitativos y cualitativos. El estudio cuantitativo tuvo un diseño
no-experimental, transversal, de alcance explicativo; mientras que el componente
cualitativo de la investigación siguió un diseño fenomenológico. La muestra
cuantitativa incluyó un total de 137 estudiantes de la Escuela de Ciencias
Psicológicas, de los cuales 104 estaban matriculados en el último año del grado de
licenciatura y 33 a los posgrados en Psicología. Por otro lado, se realizaron
entrevistas a 18 estudiantes de Psicología y a 4 a profesores universitarios. Los
resultados cuantitativos indican que las variables independientes significativas en
con efectos positivos son: satisfacción con las clases de Metodología de
Investigación/Seminario de Tesis, orientación epistémica empírica, apertura
reflexiva y la cantidad de cursos de Metodología de Investigación completados. Por
otro lado, la orientación epistémica intuitiva tiene un efecto negativo significativo
sobre la actitud hacia la investigación. Los resultados cualitativos sugieren que los
estudiantes forman un concepto predominantemente positivista respecto a la
ciencia. En ocasiones las actitudes negativas hacia la investigación se explican por
la aversión hacia la Estadística de parte de los estudiantes. Estos resultados se
discutieron a la luz de sus implicaciones en el campo de la enseñanza de la
Psicología en la Educación Superior.
... Pendant leur doctorat, les thésards sont amenés à écrire de nombreux documents, des articles, des résumés de leurs travaux, des posters, des présentations, leur manuscrit de thèse, etc. Or, le processus d'écriture provoque du stress, de l'anxiété, de la frustration et de la confusion (Bazrafkan et al., 2016 ;Sverdlik et al., 2018). L'étude qualitative de Bazrafkan et al. (2016) réalisée sur des doctorants iraniens en sciences médicales, révèle plus spécifiquement que le stress lié à l'écriture provient de la pression qu'ils ressentent à produire une thèse de bonne qualité et sélectionner un sujet innovant. ...
... Or, le processus d'écriture provoque du stress, de l'anxiété, de la frustration et de la confusion (Bazrafkan et al., 2016 ;Sverdlik et al., 2018). L'étude qualitative de Bazrafkan et al. (2016) réalisée sur des doctorants iraniens en sciences médicales, révèle plus spécifiquement que le stress lié à l'écriture provient de la pression qu'ils ressentent à produire une thèse de bonne qualité et sélectionner un sujet innovant. Certains s'inquiètent aussi du peu de temps à leur disposition pour écrire ou qu'un travail de lecture insuffisant leur fasse réaliser que ce qu'ils ont accompli jusqu'à maintenant n'est pas aussi original qu'ils le pensaient. ...
... Les résultats d'une étude réalisée en ligne auprès de doctorants en psychologie, révèlent que les doctorants qui ont un niveau de bien-être élevé ainsi qu'une autoévaluation positive de leurs performances professionnelles sont ceux qui s'attachent à équilibrer leur vie personnelle et professionnelle et à réguler leurs émotions . Bazrafkan et al. (2016), dans une étude réalisée auprès de 16 doctorants en médecine iraniens, écrivent que des activités telles que regarder des films et des séries, écouter de la musique, aller sur Internet et pratiquer du sport représentent des stratégies de coping pour les doctorants, activités qui atténuent le stress et l'anxiété générés par le travail de thèse comme c'est le cas en phase d'écriture par exemple. Enfin, il est à noter qu'une méta-analyse a révélé qu'une pratique régulière d'activité, quelle qu'elle soit, suffit à abaisser le niveau d'émotions négatives (Colman et al., 2016). ...
Un travail de recherche qui ne progresse pas, une supervision insatisfaisante, des perspectives de carrière incertaines ou encore le sentiment de ne pas appartenir à une communauté scientifique, telles sont les difficultés que rencontrent nombre de thésards pendant leur doctorat. Si ces difficultés font l’objet d’un nombre croissant de publications, peu de travaux se sont attachés à mettre en lumière les déterminants du vécu positif du doctorat. En effet, le vécu d’une thèse peut être extrêmement enrichissant. Dans cette revue de la littérature, notre objectif est d’exploiter les connaissances actuelles permettant d’envisager l’expérience du doctorat comme positive pour en extraire des pistes susceptibles d’améliorer cette expérience. Dans un premier temps, nous exposons les éléments de la littérature qui démontrent que, bien que le doctorat puisse être vécu comme une épreuve difficile, il peut également être vécu comme une expérience très positive. Dans un second temps, nous proposons des pistes d’améliorations de l’expérience du doctorat. Dans l’ensemble, cet article, présente un intérêt pour les doctorants désireux d’approfondir leurs réflexions sur leurs conditions de travail, mais aussi pour tous ceux qui les entourent, tels les directeurs de thèse, les directeurs d’unités de recherche, et les directeurs d’écoles doctorales.
... International studies on the experiences of doctoral candidates identify workload in the academic culture, financial worries and mental stress as common challenges of doctoral life (Bazrafkan et al., 2016;Levecque et al., 2017;Woolston, 2017) and 38.8% of PhD students report severe symptoms of burnout (Mattijssen et al., 2020). The journey of a doctoral candidate is deeply impacted by their relationship with their supervisor, with whom they share a delicate working relationship. ...
... In addition, personal support and support for the student to be an independent researcher is important (Heath, 2010;Hemer, 2012;Skakni, 2018;van Rooij et al., 2019). Emphasising these results, studies show that unavailability and non-responsiveness of the supervisor are found to have a negative impact on the doctoral candidate's satisfaction, well-being and progress (Bazrafkan et al., 2016;Khozaei et al., 2015;Mattijssen et al., 2020). Similarly, poor feedback and the supervisor's lack of expertise negatively affect the doctoral candidate (Bazrafkan et al., 2016;Khozaei et al., 2015). ...
... Emphasising these results, studies show that unavailability and non-responsiveness of the supervisor are found to have a negative impact on the doctoral candidate's satisfaction, well-being and progress (Bazrafkan et al., 2016;Khozaei et al., 2015;Mattijssen et al., 2020). Similarly, poor feedback and the supervisor's lack of expertise negatively affect the doctoral candidate (Bazrafkan et al., 2016;Khozaei et al., 2015). Thus, it is important for the supervisor to provide informed feedback in a respectful and efficient way (Heath, 2010;Woolderink et al., 2015). ...
The aim of this study is to examine the complexities of the doctoral candidate–supervisor relationship within the doctoral programme at the University of Iceland through the voices of the doctoral candidates. Numerous studies suggest that doctoral candidates endure a stressful working environment and that one of the most important factors influencing this is the relationship with the supervisor. In this study we have chosen to focus on what doctoral candidates at the University of Iceland value most in communication with their supervisor and where they feel improvements can be made. Findings show that what doctoral candidates value the most is an available, encouraging and supportive supervisor who gives their candidates a sense of autonomy while still providing quality feedback on their work. Candidates who experience inactive, disorganised, dismissive and/or overly controlling supervisors indicate that these factors contribute to their dissatisfaction, anxiety and stress. These patterns are similar across all the University’s five schools. Based on these findings we suggest that doctoral candidates be allocated an ombudsman and that supervisors receive increased support and training.
... Students worldwide are currently experiencing adverse conditions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and while this has yet to be addressed in peer-reviewed research, a conversational piece predicts that the stress and burnout PhD students experience may be further exacerbated by the pandemic (Woolston 2020). Regarding the factors that attribute to the stress postgraduate students experience, a qualitative study of PhD students from Iranian Universities of Medical Sciences identified common sources of stress for students including, time management, lack of resources, supervisor relationships, socioeconomic problems, and concerns regarding unemployment after graduation (Bazrafkan et al. 2016). Overall, this is an important area of research as mental health concerns experienced by PhD students can lead to students unenrolling from their PhD programme (Podsakoff, LePine, and LePine 2007) resulting in consequences for the individual and the enrolled institution. ...
... The main motivator for postgraduate students posting postgraduate-related content on social media was to develop their 'self-branding', including promoting their publications and research projects, networking with collaborators and potential future employers and increasing their 'following' and influence on social media. Previous research has found that unemployment after graduation is a cause of stress for PhD students (Bazrafkan et al. 2016). Emergence of social media platforms dedicated to the promotion of academics (e.g. ...
... Facilitating social media use and encouraging appropriate strategies towards online interaction are strategies that tertiary institutions can adopt to mitigate the negative consequences while also benefiting from the investment in student wellbeing. For example, developing personal connections with the postgraduate community on social media appear to mitigate isolation, and increase post study employability, which are two factors that contribute to stress experienced by postgraduate students (Bazrafkan et al. 2016;Levecque et al. 2017). Tertiary education providers could aim to create and maintain social networks of postgraduate students online through managed social media pages, groups, and accounts dedicated to this purpose. ...
Social media are becoming increasingly popular in a professional context and, if used appropriately, can be beneficial to postgraduate students. Little is known regarding the extent to which postgraduate students engage with social media for postgraduate purposes. The present study aimed to understand postgraduate students’ general use of social media, as well as investigate social media use specifically for postgraduate (educational and/or scientific) purposes. A total of 231 postgraduate students from 45 countries completed a mixed-methods survey. Instagram was the most frequently used social media platform overall, with Twitter being the most commonly used for postgraduate purposes. Most students posted educational and/or scientific content on social media platforms, with approximately one-third having a social media account specific for postgraduate/scientific content. The most common reasons postgraduate students access social media for postgraduate-related purposes were personal connection with community, science communication, motivations and learning, and networking. The most common reasons for posting postgraduate content online were self-branding, accessing a broad audience, science communication, and building a postgraduate community. Overall, postgraduate students are commonly using social media for postgraduate purposes which presents opportunities to mitigate pitfalls of the student experience and promote positive mental health among this group.
... Qualitative data There appeared to be no discernible pattern in the perceived quality of studies; the highest [36][37][38][39][40] and lowest scoring [41][42][43][44][45][46] studies reflected both theses and journal publications, a variety of locations and settings and different methodologies. The most frequent low-scoring criteria were relating to the authors' positions and reflections thereof (i.e. ...
... 107). • DRs felt that their inadequacy was reflected back by supervisors; '…I worked hard, and read a lot of papers because of the fear of response of the supervisor… but unfortunately… I didn't know the answers to his questions-and then he got more and more angry' [41] (p. 235). ...
... '…it's not enough to punish yourself or feel guilty, when you don't meet a goal; you should notice the reasons for your failure to attain the goals in future' [41] (p. 234). ...
Background:
Data from studies with undergraduate and postgraduate taught students suggest that they are at an increased risk of having mental health problems, compared to the general population. By contrast, the literature on doctoral researchers (DRs) is far more disparate and unclear. There is a need to bring together current findings and identify what questions still need to be answered.
Methods:
We conducted a mixed methods systematic review to summarise the research on doctoral researchers' (DRs) mental health. Our search revealed 52 articles that were included in this review.
Results:
The results of our meta-analysis found that DRs reported significantly higher stress levels compared with population norm data. Using meta-analyses and meta-synthesis techniques, we found the risk factors with the strongest evidence base were isolation and identifying as female. Social support, viewing the PhD as a process, a positive student-supervisor relationship and engaging in self-care were the most well-established protective factors.
Conclusions:
We have identified a critical need for researchers to better coordinate data collection to aid future reviews and allow for clinically meaningful conclusions to be drawn.
Systematic review registration:
PROSPERO registration CRD42018092867.
... A bleak picture is painted of the existing mental health conditions of postgraduate research students, with increased rates of suicide and suicidal ideation reported compared to undergraduates (Silverman, Meyer, Sloane, Raffel, & Pratt, 1997), and similar increases in depression, anxiety and stress (Bazrafkan, Shokrpour, Yousefi, & Yamani, 2016). Conditions of candidature that can negatively impact on doctoral candidates' mental health include social isolation, challenging relationships with research supervisors and managing parenting, caring and financial commitments (Crawford & Probert, 2017). ...
... For example, Darcy stated during interview, 'I find that having come along here the times that I have and made the progress that I have has worked to alleviate some of that pressure and some of that stress'. Doctoral candidates often place themselves under considerable pressure and express feeling as though they are not reading enough, writing enough, or spending enough time on the thesis (Bazrafkan et al., 2016). Yet participants gained satisfaction from feeling as though they had made progress: 'Just that knowing of having done something, makes me feel a whole lot better' (Jamie, interview). ...
... For example, 'You don't have to feel guilty for all the things that you haven't done while you're having lunch, which seems to be my experience during the week' (Jamie, interview). Stress and anxiety can be crippling for productivity and impact negatively on wellbeing (Bazrafkan et al., 2016;Cotterall, 2013). ...
Candidate wellbeing is recognised as a continual challenge for doctoral programs, with government mandates requiring an institutional response. This article explores the experiences of candidates undertaking intensive writing sessions (‘Write-Ins’) and their influence on their wellbeing. Exploratory findings demonstrate opportunities for Write-In models to contribute positively to ‘Spaces of Wellbeing’. Spaces of Wellbeing theory highlights four dimensions of space that influence wellbeing: capability, security, integrative and therapeutic spaces. Findings show the Write-Ins contributed positively to wellbeing by offering space for candidates to enhance writing productivity, to work to their own pace, to connect with others, and to work flexibly.
... In a meta-analysis of 32 studies, it was found that approximately 17% of doctoral students experienced anxiety, while around 24% had depression (5). The latest survey of 6,300 graduate students worldwide revealed that 36% doctoral students had sought help for anxiety or depression related to academic difficulties (6), with thesis writing and defense being the major sources of stress (7). Effective approaches to relieve the psychological stress of master's and doctoral students are therefore urgently needed. ...
... The Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS) is a selfreport, 15-item questionnaire that measures the severity of a wide range of gastrointestinal symptoms during the past week (24). Items are rated on a 7-point scale ranging from no discomfort at all [1] to very severe discomfort [7]. A total score is calculated by summing the scores of all items. ...
Background
Globally, master’s and doctoral students, especially pregraduate students, are under great pressure. Probiotics are emerging as a promising intervention to improve mental health via gut-brain axis.
Objective
The aim of this study was to explore the impact of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei K56 supplementation on perceived stress among pregraduate students.
Methods
We conducted a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial in 120 healthy master’s and doctoral students who faced graduation. Participants were randomly assigned to either probiotics (containing Lacticaseibacillus paracasei K56 6 × 10¹⁰ CFU / d) or placebo group for 2 weeks intervention. The main outcome was perceived stress assessed using Cohen’s Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10). The secondary outcomes were stress, depression, and anxiety assessed by Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS), gastrointestinal symptoms, and sleep evaluated by corresponding scales. These outcomes were assessed at baseline, 1, and 2 weeks. Pre- and post-treatment serum biomarkers, gut microbiota composition and metabolites were also detected.
Results
There was no difference in changes of PSS-10 scores from baseline to 2 weeks between the K56 groups and the placebo [mean (standard error): −1.68 (0.48) vs. -0.39 (0.46), p = 0.055]. Furthermore, the K56 group exhibited superior reductions in both stress [−2.15 (0.38) vs. -0.96 (0.49), p = 0.035] and anxiety symptoms [−1.54 (0.32) vs. 0.53 (0.43), p = 0.003] via DASS compared with the placebo group. Additionally, those receiving K56 also experienced improved sleep quality (p = 0.010) and elevated levels of serotonin (5-HT) (p = 0.038) compare to placebo group. Moreover, taking probiotics K56 could modulate the pressure-induced changes in gut microbiota composition, particularly by increasing the beneficial bacteria (Lacticaseibacillus and Lacticaseibacillus paracasei), while suppressing suspected pathogenic bacteria (Shieglla and Escherichia_coli). Metabolomic analysis revealed an increased in metabolites, especially butyric acid in the K56 group (p = 0.035). Notably, there was a significant negative correlation between relative abundance of lactobacillus and stress-related symptoms, whereas butyric acid showed a significant positive correlation with lactobacillus abundance level.
Conclusion
This study suggested the potential benefits of K56 supplementation in alleviating stress and significant effect in reducing anxiety and insomnia among master’s and doctoral students, which may be attributed to K56-induced changes in microbial composition and butanoate metabolism.
Clinical trial registration
Chictr.org.cn, identifier ChiCTR2300078447.
... One example is that of Moesarofah and Rahayu (2023), who, in their literature review, found that anxiety appears recurrently in the dissertation writing process. Bazrafkan et al. (2016) and Wang et al. (2019), in their respective research, also refer to the prevalence of stress and anxiety among doctoral students. Satinsky et al. (2021), in their meta-analysis, report that depression and anxiety are common among this group of students, according to the literature analyzed. ...
... Consistent with existing literature (Bazrafkan et al., 2016;Moesarofah & Rahayu, 2023;Satinsky et al., 2021;Wang et al., 2019), the testimonies reveal that experiencing stress and anxiety, often accompanied by physical symptoms, is common among participants. However, when directly asked, participants often claim not to experience these states, although their testimonies later reflect descriptions of physical symptoms. ...
Aim/Purpose: This study addresses the need to understand the wellbeing of doctoral students and the factors influencing their academic trajectory. Background: Doctoral students’ wellbeing is crucial for their academic success and overall quality of life. This study explores the antecedent variables influencing doctoral students’ wellbeing, complementing the Integrative Model on well-being in doctoral students. Methodology: A qualitative case study approach was employed, involving in-depth interviews with 10 PhD students at a Norwegian university. Following the Integrative Model on doctoral students’ wellbeing, the study combined thematic and discourse analysis to examine students’ experiences and perceptions. Contribution: This research provides insights into doctoral students’ experiences, feelings, and perceptions during their thesis process, contributing to a more nuanced understanding of factors influencing their well-being. Findings: The results reveal that working conditions, particularly remunerated positions, significantly impact students’ experiences. Common feelings include uncertainty, fear of failure, and stress, especially during writing. Stress and anxiety are prevalent, though often normalized. While loneliness is common, students generally report support from supervisors, peers, and family. Supervisors emerge as the primary source of support, with their relationship style greatly influencing student wellbeing. Recommendations for Practitioners: Based on these findings and existing literature, the study proposes measures to enhance doctoral student well-being, including creating spaces for student interaction, implementing funding policies, offering mental health support, designing skill-building workshops, establishing mentoring programs, and providing supervisor training. Recommendation for Researchers: Explore supervisory styles and their impact on student well-being in diverse academic contexts. Investigate the impact of supervisors’ availability, time dedication, and communication patterns on doctoral supervision. Future research should examine supervisors’ perspectives and investigate these relationships across different international settings using quantitative methodologies with larger samples to enhance generalizability. Impact on Society: This research contributes to a deeper understanding of doctoral student experiences and offers a foundation for developing targeted interventions to support this population. Improving doctoral student well-being can lead to higher quality research outputs and more successful completion rates, benefiting academia and society. Future Research: Quantitative studies with larger, more diverse samples from international contexts could further validate and expand upon these findings. Additional research could focus on the effectiveness of different supervisory styles and examine how institutional structures influence doctoral student wellbeing across various academic contexts.
... Problemas relativos à saúde mental e bem-estar dos pós-graduandos stricto sensu têm atraído a atenção de pesquisadores (Hunter & Devine, 2016;Levecque et al., 2017;Pyhältö et al., 2012;Park et al., 2021) que se preocupam com os impactos associados às condições de trabalho no estado psicológico desses discentes. A respeito disso, pós-graduandos percebem diversos estressores como a relação com o orientador e as dificuldades no desenvolvimento da pesquisa, como fatores que aumentam o nível de estresse (Bazrafkan et al., 2016) e prejudicam o bem-estar (Devos et al., 2016;Hunter & Devine, 2016) deles. O excesso de carga de trabalho acadêmico (Cornwall et al., 2018), as dificuldades em manter o equilíbrio da vida acadêmica com a pessoal (Cornwall et al., 2018;Faro, 2013a;El-Ghoroury et al., 2012), os problemas financeiros (El-Ghoroury et al., 2012;Faro, 2013a) e as pressões dos órgãos de financiamentos (Waight & Giordano, 2018) também contribuem para o aumento do estresse. ...
... De maneira geral, percebe-se que estressores acarretam aumento do nível de estresse, o que pode provocar falta de incentivo para prosseguir com os estudos ou redução no desempenho acadêmico (Faro, 2013b;Rezende et al., 2017). Por outro lado, estudos (Bazrafkan et al., 2016;El-Ghoroury et al., 2012) indicaram que o uso de algumas estratégias de enfrentamento, como a busca de apoio social, pode auxiliar os pós-graduandos a lidarem com os efeitos dos estressores. E o uso do enfrentamento pode ser reforçado pela autoeficácia do indivíduo, o que contribuiria para controlar efeitos nocivos do estresse (Bandura, 1997), nessa perspectiva a autoeficácia tem sido sugerida como elemento com potencial de afetar positivamente o bem-estar (Sonnentag, 2015). ...
Estudos anteriores indicaram a alta frequência de estressores e estresse na pós-graduação, contudo notou-se a necessidade de compreender melhor o papel das estratégias de enfrentamento nesse ambiente e o impacto de todas essas variáveis no bem-estar dos discentes. Assim, o objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a relação dos estressores e autoeficácia, mediados pelo estresse e enfrentamento, com o bem-estar psicológico de pós-graduandos em Ciências Contábeis. Para o alcance do objetivo, realizou-se um survey on-line, com questionário constituído pelas escalas de Estressores (preocupações e dificuldades), Autoeficácia-Geral, Estresse Percebido, Brief Cope e Questionário de Saúde Geral (para mensurar o bem-estar), além de questões sobre o perfil dos respondentes. A amostra foi constituída por 366 participantes. Observou-se que os estressores mais frequentes evidenciam o receio de não alcançar bons resultados e a dificuldade em conciliar as demandas da pós-graduação com outros aspectos da vida. Na média, os discentes apresentaram autoeficácia elevada e a maioria apresentou nível alto de estresse. As estratégias de enfrentamento mais usadas foram enfrentamento ativo, autoculpabilização e reinterpretação positiva. Com o uso da análise de mediação, concluiu-se que os estressores, bem como a autoeficácia, são mediados pelo estresse e pela estratégia de reinterpretação positiva, explicando, assim o bem-estar psicológico dos pós-graduandos. Dessa forma, a identificação das variáveis investigadas fomenta o debate e fornece respaldo para o planejamento e execução de ações institucionais que objetivem amenizar estressores, bem como auxiliar os discentes para que eles desenvolvam maior capacidade adaptativa frente aos desafios da pós-graduação.
... Research students, both male and female, are under much stress while writing their theses, as evidenced by the mean score for the factor "Thesis writing stress" (M= 3.72) and (SD=.537). Contributing to their stress and anxiety during the dissertation writing process, thesis is a significant source of stress for Ph.D. scholars (Bazrafkan et al., 2016). Research students, both male and female, are experiencing supervisor relationship stress, as evidenced by the mean for the "Supervisor relationship stress" (3.13) and (SD=.766). ...
... The root causes of relationships with supervisors and socioeconomic problems are an inappropriate and an undefined and unclear educational environment. (Bazrafkan, 2016). Research students experience stress in academics while enrolled in universities, as evidenced by the mean for "Academic stress" (3.69) and (SD=.684). ...
The study aimed to determine how EI affected both male and female research students' levels of research stress. Public universities located at Karachi and Jamshoro recognized by HEC were population of the study. The Current study was purely descriptive. In this study quantitative approach was used. Research scholars’ responses were collected through a Survey technique. The study's participants were research scholars from public and private universities. Sample size was comprised of 300 (160 male & 140 female) research students and through the use of random sampling technique, data was gathered. Two research tools EI and research stress were used to collect the data from research students. The mean emotional intelligence score for both male and female students was 2.30, indicating low emotional intelligence. The research stress mean score was (M= 3.60) which shows the high level of research stress among male and female. The emotional intelligence scores of male and female scored differed significantly (t= -5.000, p= <.001). Additionally, there were significant differences between male and male respondents' levels of research stress (t= 8.990, p=.001). Emotional Intelligence and Research Stress were found to have a similar negative effect (-.784, p= 0.01) in both male and female students. Sincelower EI levels are associated with higher stress, we should work to help students increase their emotional intelligence to reduce their stress towards research.
... The existing research about the academic performance of schools and universities indicated that students' experience of teacher support not only had a positive effect on their learning engagement [38], but could also positively predict their academic achievement [39]. Academic support from tutors can promote graduate students' thesis writing [40]. Hence, the course support and academic support of graduate students are negatively affected by the pandemic, which would affect students' thesis writing. ...
... For example, some students in English majors have cognitive anxiety in writing essays [42]. Some scholars found that the PhD candidates felt more pressure and anxiety when writing a thesis, which resulted from the confusing topic selection, terrible time management, lack of resources, low writing ability, and the complex interactions between tutors and peers, which may lead to exhaustion and depression [40]. Based on previous studies, we predict that graduate students may feel anxiety in thesis writing due to the pandemic. ...
Because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the learning style of graduate students has changed considerably, making them more susceptible to psychological problems. This study aimed to explore the mediating roles of thesis writing and anxiety between course support (including course-arrangement, course-assessment, and course-learning), academic support (including academic exchange with colleges, tutors and schoolmates) and depression. There were 3137 graduate students investigated by self-developed Graduate Students’ Academic Affected Questionnaire, Self-Rating Anxiety Scale and Self-Rating Depression Scale. The results showed that (1) 82% of graduate students reported their course support, academic support and thesis writing were affected to varying degrees; (2) course support and academic support correlated with thesis writing, anxiety and depression (p < 0.001); (3) the mediation model fitted well, the mediating effect of anxiety between academic support and depression was significant (β = 0.086, SE = 0.02, p < 0.001), the serial multiple mediating effects of thesis writing and anxiety between academic support and depression were significant (β = 0.02, SE = 0.008, p = 0.013) and the serial multiple mediating effects of thesis writing and anxiety between course support and depression were also found to be significant (β = 0.014, SE = 0.006, p = 0.014).
... Supervisors play a central role in conducting academic work, as they are a necessary reference for students' academic experience (28) . Lack of feedback (29) , little quantity and little use of meetings (2) and lack of inspirational leadership by supervisors (1) are factors that can generate dissatisfaction. ...
... The current study showed that sociodemographic variables, especially mental health and the difficulty of managing professional activities and personal life, can help understand the mechanisms of illness of individuals who perform work that involves a large number of stressors, such as master's and doctoral students. Work stressors can cause illness in several economic segments (33)(34) ; in this study, we found different aspects of life that can be harmed in this relationship, in addition to the already established knowledge about graduate students' mental health (1,13,29) . ...
Objectives:
to assess the quality of life of master's and doctoral students in health.
Methods:
this is a cross-sectional study carried out with 503 master's and doctoral students from the Brazilian Center-West, using the WHOQOL-BREF to analyze their quality of life. Analysis included Cronbach's alpha coefficient, confirmatory factor analysis and bivariate and multivariate analyzes.
Results:
older age and having a child were associated with higher average quality of life scores, while diagnosis of anxiety/depression, difficulty in managing academic and personal activities and thinking about dropping out of course were associated with lower average scores in quality of life domains (p <0.05).
Conclusions:
master's and doctoral students have reduced quality of life during the entire training period, mainly in psychological and physical health. The management of academic activities and dropping out of course are the main variables associated with decreased students' quality of life.
... They tend to be very demanding of themselves, hoping to do well in academic writing, and this self-imposed pressure often leads to anxiety and fear. Academic writing requires continuous feedback and support, but many Chinese postgraduate students may lack effective guidance in this process (Bazrafkan et al., 2016). The feedback of the tutor is not timely or specific enough, which makes the students feel isolated in the writing process, which further aggravates the pressure of writing. ...
The rapid development of China’s graduate education system in recent years has not only met the urgent needs of society for high-level talent but also demonstrated the determination to move toward a strong country in terms of graduate education. However, as the scale has expanded, the challenges faced by postgraduate students in academic writing have become increasingly prominent, especially the lack of sufficient training and practice in the key steps of thesis writing. Therefore, strengthening academic writing education has become an important direction for improving the quality of graduate education.
... There is abundant literature on the stress management strategies among PhD students while undertaking PhD or during thesis writing [46,47]. These strategies include meditation, yoga exercises, physical exercise, discussing your problems with your social support system and engaging in activities away from PhD project related work during weekends to maintain work-life balance [48]. ...
... Prior research often relied on qualitative research approaches, focusing on specific academic departments, or employing limited sample sizes. This leads to a narrow understanding, rather than adopting a comprehensive and multidimensional approach to capturing the distinct experiences of PhD students (Bazrafkan et al., 2016;Keser et al., 2019;Moberg, 1979;Wang et al., 2019). Furthermore, earlier investigations primarily concentrated on demographic attributes, financial situations (Fineisen, 2011), working conditions (Lange-Vester & Teiwes-Kügler, 2013), and reasons for dropping out (Hauss et al., 2012). ...
The effort–reward imbalance (ERI) model is a theoretical model in the work context that identifies stressors and their adverse effects on health. This article attempts to apply the ERI theory to the PhD context and describes the adaptation and validation of the ERI scale for doctoral students (ERI-PhD) in a sample of 1,275 PhD students gaining a doctoral degree in Germany. We calculated item-total correlations and McDonald’s Omega to assess the internal consistency and used exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis to test the theoretical and factorial structure of the scale. The factorial time invariance was tested with a 6-week follow-up design (n = 705). The relationship between ERI and different PhD groups was examined to test discriminant validity. Linear regression analyses of the ERI-PhD with mental health (Patient Health Questionnaire–4) were examined to test the criterion validity. Exploratory factor analysis using a randomized half of the sample yielded a four-factor structure solution. Using the other half of the sample, confirmatory factor analysis confirmed that the four-factor solution fitted the data the best. Also, the ERI level varied among demographic and PhD-related variables and contributed to the explanation of poor mental health. The PhD version of the ERI questionnaire is a valid and reliable new instrument for assessing the perceived social reciprocity between efforts and rewards and its effects on mental health (i.e., depression and anxiety). In light of stress-related PhD conditions (e.g., isolation, work–life conflicts) and many PhD students leaving academia, the tool can provide valuable explanations.
... On the other hand, graduate students experiencing a range of symptoms like fatigue, headache, gastrointestinal problems, and excessive worrying are common signs of mental health challenges. All of these may result to a decline in the achievement of personal goals and bring about exhausted and depressed students (Bazrafkan et al. 2016). ...
For graduate students, writing a thesis can be extremely stressful and demanding. It may also have an impact on their self-perception, drive, and perseverance. Giving feedback is one of the most important methods of promoting learning and motivation. For thesis writers, receiving feedback from experts provides a chance to check their progress and keep going. This policy brief focuses on sharing the results of a qualitative study that explored the lived experiences of thesis writers when receiving feedback from experts and how it influences their motivation. In addition, it highlights the proposed mental health intervention for thesis writers. This intervention can play a vital role in addressing students' concerns and mental health challenges usually encountered during the thesis writing process.
... The results revealed that students at Public Sector Universities experience more stress than students at private universities students while writing their thesis. Bazrafkan et al, (2016) suggested that Ph.D. students' stress and anxiety are more related to their thesis and supervisors. These problems include choosing a strong thesis idea or topic, unclear thesis instructions, an unstructured research project by a student, and inadequate auxiliary planning. ...
The purpose of this study was to examine the factor causing stress in conducting research among research scholars of public and private sector universities. Quantitative research method was applied in this study which was descriptive in nature. The data was collected from research scholars by using survey technique. The location for the population was Karachi and Jamshoro. One hundred fifty one scholars were selected as a sample. The results showed that the overall mean score of students was (M=3.6) which indicated the high research stress level in research students of both public and privates universities. Students of public universities faced more thesis writing, supervisor relationship and academic stress than private universities. Stress level in the factors of coursework stress and socio-economic stress was same in public and private universities. The findings of this study are expected to provide new evidence for higher education institutions and result in certain reforms in public and private sector institutions.
... Several research on the emotional geographies of students enduring final project supervision have been undertaken (Bazrafkan et al., 2016;Dowling et al., 2012;Robert & Seaman, 2018;Todd et al., 2004). Despite the growing number of studies on students' emotional geography during final project completion, little is known about supervisors' emotional geography when supervising their students' final works. ...
Myriad of publications concerning students’ experiences during their final project completion process have been well documented. However, little discussed the supervisors’ emotional geography in fulfilling their task as supervisors for final projects. Therefore, the present study attempts to have an in-depth narrative case study that explores the emotional journeys of two EFL teachers supervising undergraduate thesis. Grounded on Hargreaves' (2001) emotional geography framework, this narrative case study employed direct interviews with EFL lecturers over the course of one month provided the source of the study's data. The study's findings showed that the participant experienced sustainable adaptation through negotiated emotional changes in their experiences as undergraduate thesis supervisors which were anchored by that focuses on physical, social, moral, professional, and political aspects. The findings of this study informed that supervisors experienced different degrees of emotional geographies one of which is caused by the length of supervisory process they have undergone. Pedagogical implications and further studies are also presented.
... Una mayor frecuencia de problemas del sueño entre los participantes que están cursando doctorado se explica por la alta exigencia académica de este nivel de formación, muchas veces compartido con el hecho de trabajar paralelamente, con el tener pareja y con la presencia de fatiga y estrés (Lee et al., 2007). En especial, en el periodo de escritura de la tesis donde se ven afectados los hábitos para acostarse, levantarse y dormir (Bazrafkan et al., 2016). ...
El objetivo de esta investigación fue identificar la prevalencia de problemas del sueño y sus factores asociados en estudiantes de programas de posgrado en el área de la salud en una institución universitaria de Medellín, Colombia, durante el periodo académico 2019-1. Se realizó un estudio de corte transversal con muestreo aleatorio estratificado en 157 estudiantes entre 23 y 62 años. Se empleó un cuestionario autoadministrado en línea con preguntas sociodemográficas, clínicas, estilos de vida y hábitos de sueño utilizando el Índice de Calidad del Sueño de Pittsburgh. El 66,2% de los estudiantes encuestados sufre algún problema para dormir. Se encontró asociación con el consumo de bebidas energizantes (RP: 1.46 IC95%: 1.43-8.11) y el no tener una hora fija para acostarse y levantarse diariamente (RP: 4.17 IC95%: 1.80-9.69).
... The thesis is a task to complete their study program, this is based on the Letter of the Director General of Higher Education no 152/E/T/2012 which requires college students to produce papers that are published in scientific journals. Bazrafkan et al (2016) showed that thesis can cause stress for college students. Prolonged stress can cause anxiety which is a condition that is triggered by the existence of a clear situation or object, which is actually not dangerous at the time of this incident. ...
Each student will experience anxiety when working on a thesis. In this study, students writing their theses in the sixth semester of the Faculty of Psychology at Diponegoro University will be tested to discover if modified mindfulness can lower anxiety levels. The participants in this study were 15 students on 6th semester from the Faculty of Psychology at Universitas Diponegoro. The Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HRS-A) pretest and posttest anxiety scale was employed as the data collection tool. One group test experiment serves as the study methodology. It is possible to infer from the Paired Samples T-test findings that the variance of the data is homogeneous or equal because there are a known number of p values that are 0.425 > 0.05. The value of 0.959 > 0.05 or 0.672 > 0.05 is well recognized in assumption checks. It can be said that the pretest data is usually distributed as a result. The study's findings support the idea that students writing theses experience much lower anxiety levels when they participate in a modified mindfulness training program that incorporates progressive muscle relaxation. To boost the effectiveness and usage of mindfulness modification to lessen anxiety in students working on their final project, this research has to be improved.
... It is very important to keep in mind that for those PhD candidates for whom English is not the first language, writing a thesis in English can be an overwhelming task per se and, consequently, a source of anxiety (8). Additionally, this task is both quantitatively and qualitatively different from their previous experience in academic writing. ...
In line with the ORPHEUS guidelines, to encourage international recognition of PhD theses, the Faculty of Medicine University of Belgrade (FMUB) promotes writing PhD theses in English. FMUB also requests and encourages PhD candidates to publish their results in international journals before thesis submission so as to increase their visibility in the scientific community. In addition to specific topics in medicine, PhD education needs to cover topics of general interest to researchers, in particular copyright and originality issues in scientific research. By adopting the concepts and terms of copyright, PhD candidates learn the importance of intellectual property and avoid plagiarism. As writing a PhD thesis in English may increase textual overlap between the thesis and the candidate's own published papers (in English) originating from the thesis, there may be some dilemmas in practice as to whether such textual overlap should be considered self-plagiarism or not. In line with the regulations at the top universities in the field of medicine, FMUB has adopted the conclusion that textual overlap between the thesis and the thesis-based publications of the candidate does not represent self-plagiarism, provided that certain conditions are met. Namely, regardless of the language of the dissertation, the key aspects of academic integrity in writing a PhD thesis should be honesty and transparency, namely, transparently linking the thesis-based publications with the final thesis; honestly and appropriately referencing the statements or any other content taken from the candidate's own previous work (unrelated to thesis) or other people's work; and transparently acknowledging the contribution from coauthors and team members in the thesis. These recommendations will improve transparency of thesis writing, protect PhD candidates and their supervisors, enhance internationalization of PhD programs, and further promote academic honesty in medical research and publishing.
... Uma das últimas etapas para conclusão do curso e obtenção do título de graduação é a apresentação do trabalho de conclusão de curso (TCC). Estudos investigando os níveis de estresse, de ansiedade e de outros aspectos em estudantes universitários demonstram que, além de apresentar escores de ansiedade e de estresse elevados, esses estudantes também apresentam níveis elevados de cortisol, déficit de memória, distúrbios no sono e alimentação, principalmente quando submetidos ou previamente a apresentações de trabalhos orais como TCCs (BAZRAFKAN et al., 2016;LUND et al., 2010;HAGEDORN;WOLF, 2019;WOLF, 2015). ...
OBJETIVO: Reportar os níveis de ansiedade e de estresse em uma amostra de estudantes universitários de uma instituição privada de ensino superior previamente as suas apresentações de trabalho de conclusão de curso (TCC).MÉTODOS: Trata-se de um estudo transversal, quantitativo de caráter analítico. A amostra foi composta por 76 graduandos do último período de diversos cursos de graduação, com média de idade de 22,98 (±0,22) anos e de ambos os sexos. Uma semana antes da apresentação oral dos TCCs, os seguintes instrumentos avaliativos foram aplicados: avaliação estruturada, contendo dados sociodemográficos, qualidade do sono e níveis de atividade física; Escala de Percepção de Estresse (EPS-10); versão abreviada do Inventário de Ansiedade Traço-Estado (IDATE), que avalia a ansiedade enquanto estado (IDATE-E) ou traço (IDATE-T). Os dados foram analisados no software SPSS 24.0, usando os seguintes testes: Wilcoxon, Pearson e qui-quadrado. O nível de significância adotado foi de 5%.RESULTADOS: O escore do estresse percebido da EPS-10 foi de 24,80±6,44. Tanto na IDATE-T quanto na IDATE-S, os alunos apresentaram médias de pontuação acima de 50 (52,28±0,45 e 58,22±0,48), sendo essas médias estatisticamente diferentes. Foi observada correlação positiva moderada entre ansiedade e estresse; assim como associação significativa entre qualidade do sono e níveis de ansiedade.CONCLUSÕES: A prevalência de estresse e de ansiedade apresentada pelos estudantes foi elevada. Esse resultado pode ter sido potencializado pela associação do fato dos alunos estarem no último ano de faculdade e a proximidade da apresentação oral do TCC.
... Segundo a Organização Mundial da Saúde, (16) o acréscimo de transtornos mentais aumentou nos últimos anos entre os brasileiros, com maior incidência em ansiedade e depressão, sendo que 5,8 % dos brasileiros sofrem de depressão e 9,3 % de ansiedade. Para estudantes de pósgraduação não é diferente, já que para a formação de pesquisadores, têm-se os estressores académicos, (17) quais sejam, a condução do projeto de pesquisa, a avaliação constante e o risco de fracasso. (18,19,20,21) Rezende (22) ao analisar as situações que causam adoecimentos, sintomas de mal-estar e sofrimentos em discentes de pós-graduação no Brasil afirmou que "foi possível perceber que o número de adoecimentos é crescente no âmbito da pós-graduação, patologias como ansiedade, estresse e depressão estão entre as mais citadas". ...
This paper aims to carry out a diagnosis of the mental health of ongoing (non-egress)
students from the postgraduate programs in Information Science in Brazil, understanding
the impact of CAPES regulations in this reality. The study is quali-quantitative, descriptive
and exploratory. The methodology is based on a documentary research and case study. The Documentary Research was applied in the analysis of the National Postgraduate Plan 2011-2020. In the Case Study, a questionnaire was sent to graduate programs and groups of students exposed on social networks. It was observed that students have feelings and
behaviors of anxiety, stress, and depression. The results showed that most of the students enrolled in the programs which participated in this research make use of psychiatric drugs. Students would like to focus on research in order to deepen the results, however, due to deadlines and the high need for scientific production, this reality is not always possible, which makes students frustrated. It concludes that the graduate program structure can contribute to the development of mental illnesses, since it is based on competition between masters and doctoral students. This competition generates insecurities, nervousness and, as a consequence, students focus on quantity rather than quality of scientific research. Because of f that, the context of scientific research should be based on a collaborative culture to encourage students to construct knowledge and networks together.
... This is accentuated by the notion that everything depends on you and only you, enhancing the highs and decreasing the lows. Post-graduate students have been found to have substantial levels of mental issues, which are most likely related to the high levels of stress they face (Bazrafkan et al., 2016;Wang et al., 2019). Also, pressure to obtain the highest qualification may yield stress for post-graduate students, as it is expected to put them under different kinds of mental strains, e.g., pressure of deadlines, pressure to produce quality publications, financial constraints, and uncertainty about the future, etc. (Beiter et al., 2015;Vasugi and Hassan, 2019). ...
Aim
The current study attempted to assess the effect of positive emotion on post-graduate students’ psychological capital (PsyCap) as well as on their academic engagement behavior. Also, the direct relationship between PsyCap and academic engagement behavior was assessed alongside the presence of Stress as a moderating variable between PsyCap and academic engagement behavior amongst post-graduate students in Malaysia.
Materials and Methods
A self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection from 373 post-graduate Ph.D. students registered in various universities throughout Malaysia with a non-probabilistic sampling technique. Research respondents belonged to management, humanities, engineering, computer science, and health sciences domains, and they responded through a questionnaire copy. Statistically, structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to evaluate confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), reliability analysis, validity analysis, measurement model, structural model, and path analysis. Furthermore, the (5000) bootstrapping approach was utilized to test the final model.
Results
For the hypothesized model, our results confirmed that positive emotions had a positive and significant effect on students’ psychological capita as well as on their academic engagement behavior. Further, PsyCap also had a positive and significant effect on academic engagement behavior. Our results also reported that stress as a moderating variable has a negative and deteriorating effect on the relationship between PsyCap and the academic engagement of students.
Conclusion
The study’s findings support the theoretical assumption that positive emotions help individuals generate cognitive resources, which in turn help them manage their engagement behavioral requirements. However, the stress caused by their study needs may deplete their psychological resources, consequently influencing their academic engagement behavior. Interventions like personal coaching/counseling, appropriate follow-up, and flexible goal settings with other measures may help post-graduate students in achieving their daunting tasks.
... In addition, thesis writing is a stressor which not only increases stress for Ph.D. students [50,51], but also causes significant harm or severe emotional distress to supervisors. After all, the qualities of doctoral dissertations and graduation rates are directly related to the Ph.D. student recruitment and performance appraisal of supervisors. ...
This qualitative study is intended to explore the factors that contribute to the occupational stress suffered by Chinese doctoral supervisors and the kind of measures needed to effectively address the issue. Through purposive and snowballing sampling, 30 Chinese doctoral supervisors in different disciplines of natural science and social science were selected. A semi-structured interview protocol was used, and the data were analyzed based on grounded theory methodology. Chinese doctoral supervisors experienced varied stressors of nuanced nature, which could be categorized into two core categories, i.e., performance-appraisal-related factors and Ph.D. student-related factors, which were further divided into 18 subcategories and 10 higher-level categories. Chinese doctoral supervisors are under various sources of stress, corroborating with and reinforcing previous research findings in respect to occupational stress worldwide. Through the analysis of the stress triggers, suggestions are presented in regard to what mental health professionals and educational policy makers can do to address the issue of concern for doctoral supervisors.
... It changed the supervisor-supervisee relationship. This is a situation which, if not well-managed, may lead to emotional distress (Bazrafkan et al., 2016) for both the supervisor and the student, which may well debilitate the student's ability to succeed (Boika 2016). Therefore, a careful balance between the application of formal and informal means of communication would go a long way towards achieving a successful outcome. ...
The pace of global transformation places a great emphasis on the need for development, with higher education identified as a key agent in the development of a knowledge economy. Higher education systems have been challenged with providing the necessary skilled person-power to complement the changing labour market. Postgraduate supervision is a vital tool in building institutional research capacities, reputation, financial support and developing skill amongst peers, and between supervisors and candidates. Thus, the effectiveness and efficiency of postgraduate supervision processes determine to a large extent the quality of output and the extent of skills transfer. This article is based on a training course focusing on strengthening postgraduate supervision, attended by the researcher. The primary objective of this article is to examine the concept of postgraduate supervision within a transforming academic environment. Specifically, the article examined how aspects of the supervision process enhance skills development and knowledge transfer. Data for the study were collected through a personal narrative inquiry approach and thematically analysed, with meaning construed alongside related literature. The findings show that postgraduate supervision is characterised by various factors which determine the degree of skills transfer and development. The study provides insights into aspects of supervision that if not well managed, may compromise the objective of skill development. It contributes to the ongoing discourse in supervision pedagogy and recommends careful consideration of the dynamic changes that may impact the level of educational transformation and skills development in the knowledge economy.
... Some of the female Chinese Ph.D. candidates in negative emotional states are unwilling to participate in sports, and their anxiety level is high. Research has shown that participating in projects and publishing papers occupy most of a Ph.D. candidates' daily life and are the main pressure during their learning career [1,[36][37][38][39]. Therefore, female Chinese Ph.D. candidates' lack of sports and unwillingness to spend time participating in sports may be related to their pressing learning task. ...
Given that stress leads to more anxiety among female Ph.D. candidates, more attention should be paid to their healthy lifestyle options. Several studies have shown that there is a negative correlation between sports and anxiety. This study took female Chinese Ph.D. candidates’ anxiety and sports participation as the research objects. A questionnaire entitled “Investigation on anxiety and sports of Ph.D. candidates” was used to explore the characteristics of anxiety in female Chinese Ph.D. candidates and to investigate the association between anxiety and sports in female Chinese Ph.D. candidates. A total of 588 Ph.D. candidates participated in the questionnaire survey. Some 21 invalid questionnaires were eliminated through the standard deviation of the items of the scale, and 567 valid questionnaires were finally obtained. The questionnaire survey was conducted online from 26 February to 15 March 2022, using the convenience sampling method. The results show that the anxiety level of female Chinese Ph.D. candidates is higher than that of male Ph.D. candidates and that the anxiety level of female Ph.D. candidates in a non-sports discipline is the highest. Weekly sports participation significantly lowers female Ph.D. candidates’ anxiety level (p < 0.01). Physical fatigue caused by study and work hinders female Ph.D. candidates from participating in sports (p < 0.05). Some female Chinese Ph.D. candidates in a negative emotional state are unwilling to participate in sports (p < 0.01). Future research should formulate different types of sports intervention programs suitable for alleviating the anxiety of female Ph.D. candidates.
... Uma das últimas etapas para conclusão do curso e obtenção do título de graduação é a apresentação do trabalho de conclusão de curso (TCC). Estudos investigando os níveis de estresse, de ansiedade e de outros aspectos em estudantes universitários demonstram que, além de apresentar escores de ansiedade e de estresse elevados, esses estudantes também apresentam níveis elevados de cortisol, déficit de memória, distúrbios no sono e alimentação, principalmente quando submetidos ou previamente a apresentações de trabalhos orais como TCCs (BAZRAFKAN et al., 2016;LUND et al., 2010;HAGEDORN;WOLF, 2019;WOLF, 2015). ...
... However, achieving the mentioned benefits will be possible if the portfolio is accepted by users. [8,21] Considering that there is resistance from users at the beginning of using any new system, the results of the satisfaction survey in this study were satisfactory. This good satisfaction of software users reinforces the prospect that the use of this portfolio in the future will also affect learners' learning. ...
Background:
During the past decade, the benefits of using portfolios, especially electronic portfolios, were recognized. Due to the lack of using portfolios and especially electronic portfolio in the clinical evaluations of internship training in medical schools of Iran, this study has designed, implemented, and evaluated a comprehensive system for monitoring and evaluating the activities of interns.
Materials and methods:
This study was a software development study in the three phases of design, implementation, and evaluation. All stages of the project were carried out in the Isfahan University of Medical Sciences during 2019-2020. The software design phase was performed using the Rapid Application Development Methodology (RAD model). In the implementation phase, it was used as a pilot study in the internal department of the medical school. System evaluation was performed using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods. Data were analyzed using the content analysis for qualitative data and descriptive statistical analysis using the SPSS software for quantitative data.
Results:
In the educational standards survey, in 10 items, the percentage of choosing "perfectly fit" and "fit" was above 90% (high quality). In the technical standards questionnaire, out of 35 items related to software technical quality, eight items were of acceptable quality and 27 of them were partially acceptable. In the Student Satisfaction Questionnaire, in 9 items, interns' satisfaction with the system was high or very high, and in either case, there was little or no dissatisfaction or satisfaction.
Conclusions:
Positive educational effects can be used in all clinical settings if modification and improvement of the software continues, with slight modifications.
... Feelings of isolation and varying degrees of depression, anxiety, and disengagement are commonly documented among students, especially for students from underrepresented groups who often lack access to professional networks [28][29][30][31][32][33]. In the absence of a supportive community, students may disengage and prematurely exit the program [34], as well as suffer from stress-induced health effects. ...
... 76 76 76 privada. Esta precarización del trabajo que caracteriza al menos una parte de la carrera científica en la mayor parte del mundo resulta en un aumento alarmante de la frecuencia de padecimiento de estrés crónico y enfermedades mentales, afectando en mayor medida a las mujeres y a les becaries respecto al promedio de la población(Bazrafkan et al., 2016;Enders & De Weert, 2004;Gregory & Winn, 2016;Rikap, 2016b;Schapper & Mayson, 2005;Woolston, 2017) y debilitando la posición de les trabajadores en la lucha de clases (R.Hall & Bowles, 2016;Roggero, 2011). En países periféricos como la Argentina, les científiques ingresan al sistema como trabajadores precarizades no reconocides, con "estipendios" que bordean la línea de la pobreza, altos niveles de exigencia, y con perspectivas inciertas de continuidad laboral. ...
En este trabajo, partimos de concebir a la ciencia como una esfera central para la reproducción del orden vigente e indagamos acerca de cómo las formas de conciencia que imperan en la comunidad científica contribuyen a ese proceso. Exploramos cómo las concepciones hoy dominantes del quehacer científico y sus condiciones materiales contribuyen a profundizar la crisis humanitaria en la que nos encontramos. Luego de presentar algunas reflexiones sobre el modelo científico hegemónico nos detendremos en dos industrias, la farmacéutica y la agrobiotecnológica para poner de manifiesto distintos mecanismos por medio de los cuales la ciencia pública se subordina al lucro privado. El trabajo concluye con reflexiones que subrayan que la ciencia es también un campo en disputa en el que reconocemos múltiples experiencias y marcos teóricos contrahegemónicos.
... This has led to conducting many studies with the aim of identifying the potential stressors that cause distress among young researchers. The most common are time pressures, uncertainty of doctoral processes, social isolation resulting in feelings of loneliness (Cornwall et al., 2019) and the uncertain relationship with supervisors (Bazrafkan, Shokrpour, Yousefi, & Yamani, 2016;Wang, Wang, & Wang, 2019). ...
Research seems to be an appealing professional path for young graduates with a salient academic record. However, when it comes to the beginning of their professional careers, young researchers face a number of substantial obstacles. Importantly, Ph.D. students will often do their research with no contract, which let them exposed to job insecurity and other economic risks. Even those with a scholarship receive a low income that sometimes barely covers the minimum needs. Moreover, the stress associated to the process of finishing a thesis and the lack of future prospects often lead to unusually high rates of mental health issues. Our aim is to explore the relationships between labour conditions and future professional perspectives and mental health on Ph.D. students. For that purpose, we assessed depression, anxiety and stress using the DASS-21 scale and elaborated an ad hoc questionnaire for the working conditions. Here, we discuss the problems that young researchers face on a daily basis in the context of Spanish universities by observing both official statistics and the participants’ subjective experiences. All things considered, our comprehensive review suggests that the future of research may be compromised by the lack of job security and poor care for the welfare of young researchers.
... Purposeful supervision and guidance can reduce the cause of stress and anxiety." [30] It should be mentioned that there were some limitations in this study. As this study utilized a self-report questionnaire, some students were reluctant to answer the items that they felt were personal and probably feared exposure or embarrassment; therefore, some items were left blank by them. ...
BACKGROUND: Communication apprehension (CA) is the fear or anxiety about communicating. This study was designed to investigate the CA and its related factors in the medical students at Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences (RUMS).
MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, personal report of CA (PRCA-24) was administered to 340 medical and paramedical students to measure anxiety in four domains of large groups, small groups, public speaking, and dyadic interaction. Pearson's correlation and linear regression analysis were used to investigate the relationship between CA and the variables of birth order, number of siblings, and university entrance score. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics (Chi-square and Kruskal–Wallis Test).
RESULTS: CA in the dimension of public speaking was higher than the other dimensions. Evaluation of the economic stability and its relationship to CA indicated a significant difference among all the domains of the PRCA-24. There was a significant relationship between the scores of CA and the number of siblings (P = 0.001). Linear regression and Pearson's correlation tests indicated a significant correlation between the variables of birth order, number of siblings, and university entrance score. The correlation between the CA with dimensions of group discussion, interpersonal, speaking, and meeting was weak but significant (P < 0.01).
CONCLUSION: Without communication, the materialization and development of the human community are not possible. This aspect is more evident and crucial in the healthcare industry. Based on the results of this study, the medical and paramedical students at RUMS have a medium-to-high level of CA. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to detect students with high CA to prevent further communication problems after graduation.
... Supervisor support has been found to positively correlate with sense of belonging and high academic self-concept (Curtin, Stewart, & Ostrove, 2013). Bazrafkan, Shokrpour, Yousefi, and Yamani (2016) found that the graduate students" relationship with their thesis supervisors is a significant factor in their level of anxiety regarding their research; supervisors who played nonresponsive, ineffective and negative roles were found to contribute to higher levels of fatigue and both physical and emotional distress. Various studies have also identified difficulties in relationships with supervisors as a significant stressor for research students (Russell-Pinson & Harris, 2017;Wang & Li, 2011) that reduced research self-efficacy in current study. ...
The present study aimed to explore the role of metacognitive awareness of reading strategies, research anxiety, and attitude towards research in research self-efficacy among students at university currently conducting research as part of their degree requirement. The role of perceived supervisor’s satisfaction from research and intensity of reading as moderators was also analyzed. Research Self-Efficacy Scale (Rezaei & Zamani-Miandashti, 2013), Metacognitive Awareness of Reading Strategies (Mokhtari & Reichard, 2002), Research Anxiety Scale (Rezaei & Zamani-Miandashti, 2013), and Attitude towards Research Scale (Rezaei & Zamani-Miandashti, 2013) were used to collect data from purposively drawn sample of 300 university students who were conducting research as part of their degree requirement. Regression analysis revealed metacognitive awareness of reading strategies to be the strongest predictor of research self-efficacy, with research anxiety and attitude towards research being mediators. Further analysis revealed supervisor’s satisfaction for research anxiety and intensity of reading for metacognitive awareness of reading strategies to be significant moderators in effecting research self-efficacy. The study findings have been discussed in detail, alongside the implications of the study as well as suggestions for further research in the area.
... They expressed a desire for more writing instruction to guide improvement (ie, more time for instruction, faculty feedback, and clear grading criteria). 11,16,17 In several other studies, participants stated that they wanted feedback commensurate with effort, individualized and content-focused (vs grammar, punctuation, and structure alone), balanced positive and negative (to avoid demoralizing students), and early enough to allow for revision. [17][18][19][20] These data indicate that there is a lack of clarity for both students and faculty regarding expectations for student scientific writing performance. ...
Background/Problem: Within nursing and other health professions, scientific writing skill development interventions are widely represented in the literature. However, the specific skills required are poorly defined and measured.
Approach: This study used a cross-sectional, descriptive design to compare scientific writing skill assessment of Doctor of Nursing Practice program graduates using two rubrics: general essay and scientific writing.
Outcomes: Of 13 skills measured, adherence to a standard structure, paraphrasing, and grammar, punctuation, and style were among the strongest. Use of primary sources, concise, non-redundant presentation, and critical appraisal were among the weakest. Overall interrater agreement for the general essay writing rubric was 69.6% and 82.3% for the scientific writing rubric.
Conclusions: The scientific writing rubric was more useful for identifying specific skill strengths and weaknesses and improved interrater consistency compared to the essay writing rubric.
https://journals.lww.com/nurseeducatoronline/Abstract/9000/Evaluating_Scientific_Writing_Skill_in_DNP_Program.99287.aspx
... En línea con estos resultados, diversos estudios muestran la existencia de una relación positiva entre la autoeficacia de los alumnos y su rendimiento en la redacción de trabajos (Callinan, van der Zee y Wilson, 2018;Pajares y Johnson 1996). En este sentido, la redacción de un TFM, trabajo que va a ser evaluado por un tribunal, constituye una fuente importante de ansiedad y estrés para el estudiante (Bartlett y Mercer, 2000), sobre todo si éste cree no tener las competencias necesarias para poder escribirlo (Bazrafkan, Shokrpour, Yousefi y Yamani, 2016). ...
El TFM es una tarea difícil para los estudiantes de Máster, que se enfrentan a él con ansiedad, poca autoeficacia y sin las competencias necesarias para su correcta realización. Teniendo esto en cuenta, nuestro trabajo refleja los resultados de un proyecto de innovación docente destinado a lograr un mejor rendimiento en la redacción y defensa oral del TFM. Dicho programa se compone de cinco seminarios teórico-prácticos que cubren las competencias clave escritas y orales que debía adquirir el alumnado para la superación del TFM. Siguiendo un diseño experimental pre-post intervención, se evaluó la percepción de eficacia y el nivel de ansiedad de los alumnos. Además, se examinó el rendimiento del alumnado en un simulacro escrito de TFM y su posterior defensa oral. Los resultados muestran que existen diferencias estadísticamente significativas en todos los aspectos evaluados. Por un lado, se obtuvieron calificaciones más altas en el TFM respecto a las obtenidas por los estudiantes del curso anterior que no habían participado en el proyecto. Por otro lado, los participantes se consideraron más eficaces en la escritura y la defensa oral del TFM al finalizar el programa, al tiempo que se redujeron sus niveles de ansiedad.
Students across universities research so they become competent professionals in their field. In most of the universities, English Majors must write a research paper, or else known a diploma paper, in order to graduate. However, students studying English Language find many benefits and drawbacks while writing a diploma paper.Using a mixed approach, the aim of this paper is to identify the benefits and drawbacks of writing a Bachelor of Arts paper. 51 students from “Fehmi Agani ”University, Kosovo, were asked to fill a questionnaire, and 8 others to participate in a focus group, as a part of this study. The results show that the benefits of writing a thesis are continuous feedback from the mentor, a well-written paper to add in one’s portfolio as it is reviewed by the committee members, and you get to pursue your own interests. Nevertheless, there are also some drawbacks that students face while writing a paper, such as managing information, the use of generalization, and not having enough time to write it.Finally, this study suggests that having a course which prepares students to write a thesis in the end of their studies is beneficial to students as it mentors them and teaches a step-by-step writing thesis.
Besides the highest academic degree with lots of merits post that, getting a Ph.D. and the journey throughout the Ph.D. is not so easy due to which stress and trauma become common among Ph.D. research students. Stress among them can’t be overlooked and is also of major concern as it not only impacts their academic performances but also their mental health, and increases emotional exhaustion. There are many factors that are involved in causing stress among students. Doctoral students are more prone to it as it demands time, selfless effort, and much sacrifice. Moreover, they are in the stage where there are a lot of things going on that distract their minds or sometimes contradict their decisions be it related to their future or to their family, or be it from the institute side. This article mainly deals with analyzing the factors which cause stress, their effects on Ph.D. students, how these factors interrelate with each other, and their percentage share in causing this. Seven dimensions/factors are explored i.e., Institutional Issues, Personal Issues, Supervisor relations, Academic Issues, Fears, Mental Health, and Time Management, which overall depict the entire Doctoral journey. For the analysis of all these dimensions and for finding out the percentage share, a new hybrid method of MCDA (Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis) i.e., fuzzy DEMATEL-ANP with the triangular approach of responses i.e., Optimistic, Pessimistic & Most-Likely is proposed. Performance Analysis and Sensitivity Analysis are done to do the validity check and robustness of the proposed model and by doing this analysis, we identified that the most likely approach in the proposed model is most reliable than the Optimistic and Pessimistic approach due to its non-biased behavior and Supervisor feedback and Uncertain future are the most influential factors and change of city is the least influential one. Moreover, Academic Issues (Poor Writing Skills as well as Publication issues) together with Satisfaction with topic selection during course work period as well as the supervisor's feedback contributes more with weights of 8.1%, 7.7% & 7.5% respectively in causing stress to the doctoral students.
Cette thèse a pour objectif de développer et de valider expérimentalement une méthode d’évaluation du stress au travail inspirée du modèle « Job Demands-Ressources » dans une entreprise, puis dans une population de doctorants. Deux questionnaires adaptés à ces deux populations (employés vs doctorants) ont été créés et validés. Les résultats montrent que ces deux questionnaires sont fiables, valides, et adaptés à divers contextes professionnels. Des mesures du coping, du bien-être et du mode de vie viennent compléter l’évaluation du stress et de ses répercussions sur l’individu. À l’aide de l’analyse de Cluster, les profils de stress et les combinaisons du coping permettent une meilleure compréhension des complexités psychologiques. Une dernière partie est consacrée à un protocole d’induction du stress en laboratoire pour mesurer et traiter spécifiquement un état de stress ponctuel inhérent à un contexte professionnel. Le protocole d’induction du stress inspiré du Trier Social Stress Test a été mis en place pour étudier les associations entre traits de personnalité, coping, émotions et variabilité du rythme cardiaque. L’anxiété-trait, le névrosisme, l’extraversion et le caractère consciencieux jouent des rôles importants sur le stress, le coping et la variabilité du rythme cardiaque. La peur et la honte ont été identifiées comme les émotions négatives du stress. Des atténuations de certaines émotions positives ont été révélées sous l’effet du stress. Ces études offrent de nouvelles pistes pour la prévention des risques psychosociaux et peuvent servir de base à l’élaboration d’outils innovants, peu coûteux et adaptés à une plus grande variété de professions pour la détection et la gestion du stress au travail.
This article aims to address the particular situation of doctoral studies through three main themes with salient issues. First, the elements associated with the relational issues of being a PhD student and a lack of clear framing of the activity are presented. A second part addresses the issue of sexism and homophobia at university, which can be experienced by PhD students. A third part addresses the poor mental health of PhD students, including the determining factors and the potential repercussions of this situation. The article concludes this approach by proposing a few avenues to explore, develop, and put in place to improve the experience of doing a PhD and offer research training that is as inclusive and fair as possible, promoting the well-being and career development of doctoral students.
Purpose
This study estimated the prevalence of depressive disorders among PhD students and analyzed the underlying factors in the Indian context.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors utilized an “Integrative framework” and a mixed-method approach involving survey and in-depth interviews. The survey was conducted among 240 PhD students using multistage cluster sampling in two public universities of Kerala, India. Data were collected using a self-administered Patient Health Questionnaire-9. In-depth interviews were conducted among 12 students using semi-structured interview guide. Multinomial regression and thematic analyses were undertaken to examine the factors associated with depressive disorders.
Findings
About 31.7, 41.7, 17.9, 6.7 and 2.1% had no/minimal, mild, moderate, moderately severe and severe depressive disorders, respectively. Students belonging to economically weaker section (OR = 3.06; 95% CI = 1.32–7.12), having limited knowledge of local language (OR = 4.24; 95% CI = 1.00–17.95) and earning less than INR 20,000/month (OR = 2.36; 95% CI = 1.12–5.00) were more likely to report moderate to severe depressive disorders. In addition, thematic analyses of interviews found that financial hardship, disagreement between student-supervisor, compromised students' support services and an uncertain job market were the key factors affecting the mental health of students and inhibiting academic performance.
Originality/value
This study adds to the existing literature by examining the prevalence and underlying factors of depressive disorders among doctoral students in the Indian context. The results of this study can act as a guide for universities and educational regulatory bodies to address the burgeoning issue of depressive disorders among research students in India.
O objetivo do estudo foi avaliar a qualidade de vida (QV) dos estudantes de pós-graduação em Odontologia por meio dos domínios do World Health Organization Questionnaire for Quality of Life-bref (WHOQOL-bref). Trata-se de um estudo transversal, com 88 estudantes matriculados em um programa de pós-graduação em Odontologia. Os dados foram coletados entre junho e agosto de 2015, incluindo informações sociodemográficas e um questionário de qualidade de vida, o WHOQOL-bref. Foi realizada associação das informações sociodemográficas com os domínios do questionário utilizado e análise bivariada, seguida do modelo de regressão logística multinominal, sendo considerado significativo p0,05. A maioria (55,7%) dos estudantes foram classificados na categoria “satisfação” quanto à qualidade de vida. Entre os domínios, o maior escore encontrado foi para Relações Sociais (15,23 ± 2,72), e o menor para o Físico (12,82 ± 1,56). Houve associação da frequência da prática religiosa (p=0,046) e do ano da pós-graduação (p=0,025) com o domínio Físico; o sexo (p=0,016) e considerar-se religioso (p=0,008) com o domínio Psicológico; e o estado civil com os domínios Relações Sociais (p=0,017) e Meio Ambiente (p=0,008). A QV dos estudantes de pós-graduação em Odontologia foi mensurada na região de satisfação, podendo ser influenciada por fatores como religiosidade, ano da pós-graduação, sexo e estado civil.
Background: Conduction of thesis by the students is one of their major academic activities. Thesis quality and acquired experiences are highly dependent on the supervision. Our study is aimed at identifing the challenges in thesis supervision from both students and faculty members point of view.
Methods: This study was conducted using individual in-depth interviews and Focus Group Discussions (FGD). The participants were 43 students and faculty members selected by purposive sampling. It was carried out in Tehran University of Medical Sciences in 2012. Data analysis was done concurrently with data gathering using content analysis method.
Results: Our data analysis resulted in 162 codes, 17 subcategories and 4 major categories, "supervisory knowledge and skills", "atmosphere", "bylaws and regulations relating to supervision" and "monitoring and evaluation".
Conclusion: This study showed that more attention and planning in needed for modifying related rules and regulations, qualitative and quantitative improvement in mentorship training, research atmosphere improvement and effective monitoring and evaluation in supervisory area.
While the epistemological and ontological challenges faced by doctoral candidates are well documented, the same cannot be said of the emotional dimensions of the journey. This paper draws on Activity Theory in exploring the role of emotion in the longitudinal doctoral learning experiences of six international PhD candidates studying in Australia. Analysis reveals that writing and supervision practices are common sites of tension but that the prevailing culture of silence militates against systemic change.
Background:
Medical students' academic achievement is affected by many factors such as motivational beliefs and emotions. Although students with high intellectual capacity are selected to study medicine, their academic performance varies widely.
Objectives:
The aim of this study is to explore the high achieving students' perceptions of factors contributing to academic achievement.
Materials and methods:
Focus group discussions (FGD) were carried out with 10 male and 9 female high achieving (scores more than 85% in all tests) students, from the second, third, fourth and fifth academic years. During the FGDs, the students were encouraged to reflect on their learning strategies and activities. The discussion was audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed qualitatively.
Results:
Factors influencing high academic achievement include: attendance to lectures, early revision, prioritization of learning needs, deep learning, learning in small groups, mind mapping, learning in skills lab, learning with patients, learning from mistakes, time management, and family support. Internal motivation and expected examination results are important drivers of high academic performance. Management of non-academic issues like sleep deprivation, homesickness, language barriers, and stress is also important for academic success.
Conclusion:
Addressing these factors, which might be unique for a given student community, in a systematic manner would be helpful to improve students' performance.
Qualitative content analysis is commonly used for analyzing qualitative data. However, few articles have examined the trustworthiness of its use in nursing science studies. The trustworthiness of qualitative content analysis is often presented by using terms such as credibility, dependability, conformability, transferability, and authenticity. This article focuses on trustworthiness based on a review of previous studies, our own experiences, and methodological textbooks. Trustworthiness was described for the main qualitative content analysis phases from data collection to reporting of the results. We concluded that it is important to scrutinize the trustworthiness of every phase of the analysis process, including the preparation, organization, and reporting of results. Together, these phases should give a reader a clear indication of the overall trustworthiness of the study. Based on our findings, we compiled a checklist for researchers attempting to improve the trustworthiness of a content analysis study. The discussion in this article helps to clarify how content analysis should be reported in a valid and understandable manner, which would be of particular benefit to reviewers of scientific articles. Furthermore, we discuss that it is often difficult to evaluate the trustworthiness of qualitative content analysis studies because of defective data collection method description and/or analysis description.
For all its richness and potential for discovery, qualitative research has been critiqued as too often lacking in scholarly rigor. The authors summarize a systematic approach to new concept development and grounded theory articulation that is designed to bring “qualitative rigor” to the conduct and presentation of inductive research.
ABSTRACT This paper discusses theories of postgraduate pedagogy through analysing the narratives and metaphors used to represent relationships between supervisors and candidates. It examines current dominant discourses to find the use of hierarchical models and often combative dynamics based on unequal power relations prevail. Some narratives also replicate oppressive patriarchal and Oedipal family dramas. Using an experiential and feminist methodology, the paper then suggests ways around this familial model. It offers some alternative and creative strategies of representation which could shape new forms of supervisory relationships. With an emphasis on the pleasures, rather than the pain of intellectual knowledge making, such models are suggestive rather than prescriptive, and seek to cater for diverse student backgrounds to make the experience of postgraduate research enjoyable, strengthening and completable.
of new knowledge production in universities, most doctoral students do not receive adequate mentoring or structural support to publish from their research, with poor results. Data from a case study of graduates in science and education are examined to show how the different disciplinary and pedagogic practices of each discourse community impact on student publication. It is argued that co-authorship with supervisors is a significant pedagogic practice that can enhance the robustness and know-how of emergent scholars as well as their publication output. There is a need, however, to rethink co-authorship more explicitly as a pedagogic practice, and create more deliberate structures in subject disciplines to scaffold doctoral publication – as it is these structures that influence whether graduates publish as informed professionals in their chosen fields of practice.
This study explored the associations between health awareness, health behaviour, subjective health status, and satisfaction of students with their educational experience as independent variables and three outcomes of educational achievement as dependent variables. We undertook two simultaneous cross-sectional surveys among students from one University in the UK during 2008-2009. The first survey was a general health survey; the second survey measured students' satisfaction with different aspects of their learning and teaching experience. Students' registration numbers linked the responses of both questionnaires together, and subsequently linked the questionnaires to the university database to import the grades that students actually achieved in their studies. Generally, on average, students (N = 380) exhibited medium to high satisfaction with their educational experiences. In the multivariate regression analyses, students' satisfaction with their educational experiences was not associated with any of the three indicators of educational achievement (actual module mark; perceived own performance; importance of achieving good grades). The associations of educational satisfaction, health, health behaviours, heath complaints and financial parameters with the three outcomes of educational achievement did not differ between male and female students. Each of the health, health behaviours, health complaints and financial parameters were selectively associated with only some but not all three indicators of student educational achievement. We conclude that the findings support a conceptual framework suggesting reciprocal relationships between health, health behaviour and educational achievement. Comprehensive health promotion programmes may have the potential to influence relevant predictors of educational achievement in university students.
This study designed to determine prevalence and related factors of depression in student of Arak, Iran. An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted on 304 undergraduate medical and basic students in Arak Universities, Markazi Province, Iran from May 2008 to July 2008. GHQ-28 questionnaire has been used for data gathering and analyzed by t and Chi square tests. Mean of mental health in students was 26.18 +/- 11.02 and 52.3% of students scored above the threshold of the GHQ- 28, indicating psychiatric disorder. Female sex, uninteresting of major, an uncertain future and positive family history were the most important risk factors of depression. In results didn't observe any significant relationship between age, education major and year. The prevalence of depression was higher than as compared to all population and in female exceed to male students. But there wasn't any difference between medical and non medical students. So attention to financial and occupational future graduated and under graduated students is essential.
This article is the second in a series reporting on research exploring the effects of Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction on nurses and describes the quantitative data. The third article describes qualitative data. Treatment group participants reduced scores on 2 of 3 subscales of the Maslach Burnout Inventory significantly more than wait-list controls; within-group comparisons for both groups pretreatment and posttreatment revealed similar findings. Changes were maintained as long as 3-month posttreatment. Implications of these findings are discussed.
There are many studies of religion and mental health in a Christian context, but studies in Islamic countries are few. Most previous studies used only a single question for measuring religion, and several of them showed negative associations between religion and indexes of anxiety or depression among older people. This study preliminary assesses the associations between religious variables, anxiety, and depression in a sample of Muslim students.
This cross-sectional study examines a sample of medical students (N = 285) for association(s) between religiosity, anxiety, and depression. The subjects completed a Muslim religiosity questionnaire including religious beliefs, emotions, and behaviors subscales and the Beck anxiety and depression inventories during their psychiatry rotation at Roozbeh psychiatric hospital, Tehran, Iran.
all the three religious subscales were negatively associated with and negatively predicted depression and anxiety; but only prediction of anxiety by the religious beliefs score was statistically significant.
These findings provide further evidence for a protective role of religion against anxiety and depression but more studies are required.
Despite a high prevalence of depressive symptoms among university students, few studies have examined how this mental health problem is associated with perceived stress and perceived burdens related to being a student.
We conducted a cross-sectional study of 2,103 first year students from one western (Germany), one central (Poland), and one south-eastern European country (Bulgaria). The self-administered questionnaires included the modified Beck Depression Inventory and Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale. A 13 item scale measured perceived burdens related to being a student with four subscales: "Course work", "Relationships", "Isolation", and "Future".
Depressive symptoms were highly prevalent in all three countries (M-BDI >/=35: 34% in Poland, 39% in Bulgaria, and 23% in Germany). Students felt more burdened by course work and bad job prospects ("Future") than by relationship problems or by feelings of isolation. The perceived burdens subscales "Future", "Relationship" and "Isolation" remained associated with depressive symptoms after adjusting for perceived stress, which displayed a strong association with depressive symptoms. The association between perceived stress and depressive symptoms differed by gender. These findings were similar in all three countries.
Perceived burdens related to studying are positively associated with higher depression scores among students, not only by mediation through perceived stress but also directly. While the strong association between perceived stress and depressive symptoms suggests the need for interventions that improve stress management, perceived burdens should also be addressed.
While functional differences between today’s cell phones and traditional computers are becoming less clear, one difference remains plain – cell phones are almost always on-hand and allow users to connect with an array of services and networks at almost any time and any place. The Pew Center’s Internet and American Life Project suggests that college students are the most rapid adopters of cell phone technology and research is emerging which suggests high frequency cell phone use may be influencing their health and behavior. Thus, we investigated the relationships between total cell phone use (N = 496) and texting (N = 490) on Satisfaction with Life (SWL) in a large sample of college students. It was hypothesized that the relationship would be mediated by Academic Performance (GPA) and anxiety. Two separate path models indicated that the cell phone use and texting models had good overall fit. Cell phone use/texting was negatively related to GPA and positively related to anxiety; in turn, GPA was positively related to SWL while anxiety was negatively related to SWL. These findings add to the debate about student cell phone use, and how increased use may negatively impact academic performance, mental health, and subjective well-being or happiness.
About one quarter of the more than 69,000 medical students in this country suffer symptoms of mental illness, including 7% to 18% with substance use disorders. Subjective distress and physical health needs of medical students are also common and have been linked to training stresses. This first large-scale study of medical student health care examined students' physical and mental health concerns and their perceptions of academic vulnerability associated with personal illness. A 7-page, confidential written survey was given to 1,964 students at nine US medical schools in 1996 and 1997. A total of 1,027 students participated (52% response rate). Nearly all (90%) reported needing care for various health concerns, including 47% having at least one mental health or substance-related health issue. A majority of students expressed a preference for health care outside their training institution, largely due to confidentiality concerns, and 90% preferred health insurance allowing off-site care. Students expressed varying levels of concern about academic jeopardy in association with personal illness, with physical health problems such as arthritis causing the least concern and alcohol and drug abuse triggering the most concern. Consistent differences were detected in these views based on respondent's gender, training level, and institution. Most medical students perceive the need for personal health care. Nevertheless, fear of academic reprisal may prevent medical students from seeking necessary care for their health problems during training. This phenomenon may be linked in important but poorly recognized ways to emerging illness and to impairment among medical students and physicians. Women, minority, and clinical students appear more sensitive to the connection between health and academic vulnerability. Constructive implications for medical school curricula, policies, and health care services are discussed.
One of the key challenges for the advancement of nursing globally is the development of doctorally prepared educators and leaders in a context where there is a shortage of provision of doctoral nursing programmes. For the short term future, many nurses wishing to undertake a doctorate will need to complete this education in the USA, the UK or Australia. Very little is known however about the nature of their learning experiences in these countries. This paper presents a literature review on the international doctoral student experience, with specific reference to nursing. A thorough review of the literature from 1990 to 2009 was undertaken which yielded only three empirical studies related to nursing. The review was then expanded to include subjects other than nursing which yielded 16 studies in total. This paper presents key themes that appear to be generic to international doctoral students, and draws out specific implications for nursing. The review found that international doctoral students' learning experiences were strongly influenced by the extent to which they could engage with three key elements of doctoral programmes: The first months represented a critical time of transition and most international students seemed to want and expect considerable support and structured in-put during this period. Most studies concluded that there was a need for greater institutional support and supervisor training. The three nursing-specific papers were entirely consistent with these themes. The existing evidence is extremely heterogeneous and of variable methodological quality. In order to ensure that doctoral nursing students are getting a high quality and appropriate PhD experience, there is a need for more research specifically with this group. There is also a need to investigate the different stages of the doctoral process in nursing, including, for example, writing up and examination processes and post-doctoral career outcomes.
A study was conducted involving a group of 290 medical and dental students to directly compare perceived stress levels encountered during their education. A modified questionnaire based on Garbee et al.'s Dental Environmental Stress survey was provided to the students by either email or paper. The purpose of the investigation was to determine if the sources of stress reported by medical and dental students, both male and female, were due to common factors. A multivariate statistical analysis was also conducted to measure stress differences by year in school. Through factor analysis, the survey question responses were grouped into five causal categories: academic performance, faculty relations, patient and clinic responsibilities, personal life issues, and professional identity. The overall findings show that dental students had greater levels of stress than medical students in three of the five categories. The only category in which medical students demonstrated greater stress levels than dental students was in professional identity. Measures of comparative levels of stress between male and female students for either profession did not demonstrate any significant differences. Stress levels related to clinical work varied significantly between the type of professional student and his or her year in school.
Due to the high volume and acuity of mental health issues presented by graduate and professional students nationwide, this study explored specific mental health needs in students in order to identify credible areas for intervention.
An assessment tool was created for this project, which identified satisfaction with current services, stress, coping, sleeping, eating, exercise, high risk sexual behaviours, social support, depression and substance use. Students at top ranking academic medical centres within the USA received a copy of the instrument on 2 separate occasions.
Results indicated that graduate and professional students reported alarming symptoms of depression, stress and substance use. Increased symptoms of depression were associated with high levels of stress and low social support.
Given the high rates of depression symptoms in this setting, along with inadequate services and long waiting lists, interventions must be found to address need. Need assessment is a proactive method of exploring need in specific populations in order to provide preventive and clinical services efficiently. Based on the relationship between stress, social support and symptoms of depression, forming groups aimed at preventing depression may be the best method of reducing the severity and frequency of symptoms in students.
It has been hypothesized that exposure to stress and negative life events is related to poor health outcomes, and that differential exposure to stress plays a role in socioeconomic disparities in health. Data from three waves of the Americans' Changing Lives study (n = 3,617) were analyzed to investigate prospectively the relationship among socioeconomic indicators, five measures of stress/negative life events, and the health outcomes of mortality, functional limitations, and self-rated health. The results revealed that (1) life events and other types of stressors are clearly related to socioeconomic position; (2) a count of negative lifetime events was positively associated with mortality; (3) a higher score on a financial stress scale was predictive of severe/moderate functional limitations and fair/poor self-rated health at wave 3; and (4) a higher score on a parental stress scale was predictive of fair/poor self-rated health at wave 3. The negative effects of low income on functional limitations attenuated to insignificance when waves 1 and 2 stress/life event measures were controlled for, but other socioeconomic disparities in health change remained sizable and significant when adjusted for exposure to stressors. The results support the hypothesis that differential exposure to stress and negative life events is one of many ways in which socioeconomic inequalities in health are produced in society.
To systematically review articles reporting on depression, anxiety, and burnout among U.S. and Canadian medical students.
Medline and PubMed were searched to identify peer-reviewed English-language studies published between January 1980 and May 2005 reporting on depression, anxiety, and burnout among U.S. and Canadian medical students. Searches used combinations of the Medical Subject Heading terms medical student and depression, depressive disorder major, depressive disorder, professional burnout, mental health, depersonalization, distress, anxiety, or emotional exhaustion. Reference lists of retrieved articles were inspected to identify relevant additional articles. Demographic information, instruments used, prevalence data on student distress, and statistically significant associations were abstracted.
The search identified 40 articles on medical student psychological distress (i.e., depression, anxiety, burnout, and related mental health problems) that met the authors' criteria. No studies of burnout among medical students were identified. The studies suggest a high prevalence of depression and anxiety among medical students, with levels of overall psychological distress consistently higher than in the general population and age-matched peers by the later years of training. Overall, the studies suggest psychological distress may be higher among female students. Limited data were available regarding the causes of student distress and its impact on academic performance, dropout rates, and professional development.
Medical school is a time of significant psychological distress for physicians-in-training. Currently available information is insufficient to draw firm conclusions on the causes and consequences of student distress. Large, prospective, multicenter studies are needed to identify personal and training-related features that influence depression, anxiety, and burnout among students and explore relationships between distress and competency.
Research observations suggest an increase in distress during the course of medical education, but it is not known whether this distress is chronic and persistent or episodic because follow-ups covering the whole training programme are lacking. We explored stress symptoms among undergraduate medical students (n = 110) at five points during the six-year medical training programme. The quality and continuity of symptoms and gender differences in stress reports were analysed. Questionnaire and interviews were used to assess stress symptoms, perceived health and severity of distress. Stress symptoms, such as fatigue, sleeping problems, anxiety, irritability and depression, were common. No significant gender differences were seen, but there was a consistent increase of stress reports throughout the medical programme in both sexes. Those who were most distressed at the beginning of training also reported more stress later. To conclude, we need interventions that help students to cope with stress, to make a smooth transition from school to medical school, and also to adjust to different learning environments during the different phases of medical education.