Doctorate In Depression: The Effects Of The Thesis On Mental Health

When we are students, especially at more basic levels, we do not usually wonder where knowledge comes from. It seems that what the teacher tells us is a sacred word and we tend to trust it. However, what they teach us comes from somewhere, specifically, from the research of some doctor or student to doctor. Knowledge, epistemology, does not arise for its own sake, it is created through hard work through theses and many hours of study. But what does the PhD have to do with depression?

But who are the doctoral candidates? When meeting someone, a very common phrase we use is, do you study or work? The answer of a PhD candidate could well be either one or even both at the same time. This figure, little known outside of academia, is dedicated to keeping alive and increasing knowledge. Doctoral students specialize in a field to become great experts and increase knowledge in that field. But, like everything, it has a price that in some cases can be very high.

Doctorate in depression

Two studies, one carried out in the United States and the other in Belgium, have found that depression often becomes the shadow of doctoral students. Specifically, they  are six times more likely to develop anxiety or depression compared to the general population. For example, in the United States it was found that 39% of doctoral students suffer from moderate or severe depression.

In Belgium, researchers found that a large number of PhD candidates display traits such as feeling unhappy, depressed, under constant pressure and with a loss of self-confidence. They also suffer from insomnia due to worry and stress. The results of this study were that 41% of PhD candidates felt under constant pressure, 30% depressed or unhappy, and 16% felt worthless.

The role of thesis supervisors

There are certain factors that will make the symptoms of depression more likely while others will not intervene. For example, the discipline in which the doctorate is carried out does not influence. PhD students develop these symptoms equally, whether they are in science, social science, humanities, applied science, or biomedical science. On the contrary, gender does play a role. Female PhDs are more likely to suffer from psychiatric problems than men. Unfortunately, as in many other areas, women continue to have it more complicated.

One of the most important factors is the type of director, which can influence positively or negatively. Every doctoral student has one or more directors who supervise their theses. As seen in these studies, when the thesis advisor was inspiring to their PhD students, their mental health was better. On the contrary, when the directors refrained from guiding or directing their PhD students, the mental health was worse, they were more likely to develop psychological suffering.

A final factor of great importance is the family. The family situation can determine that symptoms of depression are generated. Conflicting situations with the family, such as misunderstanding, can increase the risk of developing a psychiatric problem. The same is true of workload and schedules.

The importance of PhD students

Why is this data so important? Doctoral students are the pillars on which scientific and technological production is based. In other words, the future of technology and research will be in your hands. Both new electronic devices and new drugs will emerge from his ideas and his work. But not only that, art and social interventions are also going to be, to a certain extent, in his hands. If we don’t take care of our PhD students, who is going to build a better future?

Some tips that accompany these studies tell us that it is important to invest time in knowing your own health and that of other people. Mental health has to be as important as physical. In addition, just as companies should be concerned about the well-being of their employees, which increases productivity, the well-being of doctoral students should also be assured. Thus, doctoral students should enjoy the same benefits as any worker.