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Understand Yourself: Mental Health and Wellness
- Understand how the STEM climate impacts graduate students’ mental health
- Understand the importance of prioritizing mental health and well-being while earning a graduate degree in STEM
- Identify strategies to strengthen your mental health and well-being
“...I was depressed…I felt like I was dragging my bones to work [referring to her research lab]. I had no motivation, or energy, or enthusiasm, or desire to do this.”
“I was not able to go to the gym because I was working on the weekends. I was eating very poorly, so I was gaining weight. It was taking a toll on my relationships. I didn't go out on the weekends and I didn't have a social life...I was very, very sad and my anxiety was through the roof.”
“I did talk to [a university staff person] because I felt safe with her, and I knew that she cared, and that's demonstrated by her actions and her passions. When I talked to her about it, she gave me some advice. Largely what she did was listen, which was all I really needed for someone to do, who could understand. …[With her], I didn't have to just be student Angela, I was human Angela… that was really important.”
As a graduate student, you face myriad stressors (e.g., advisor challenges, interpersonal difficulties in the lab, unexpected delays), and the cumulative impact of these stressors can take a considerable psychological toll. Consider the following statistics:
- Compared to the general population, graduate students are six times more likely to meet the clinical criteria for depression and/or anxiety (Evans et al., 2018).
- A full 47% of Ph.D. students qualify for a diagnosis of depression (Mousavi et al., 2018).
- Graduate students who experience depressive symptoms are significantly more likely to engage in suicidal thoughts and/or behaviors (Garcia-Williams & Moffitt, 2014).
- Graduate students pursuing degrees in STEM fields may be even more likely to experience mental health concerns (Arnold, et al., 2020).
- Among graduate students in the biosciences, 46% reported depression during their degree programs (UC Berkeley Graduate Assembly, 2014).
Mental health can be a difficult topic to discuss, and you might feel especially uncomfortable bringing it up with others in your academic environments. The CareerWISE Coach is here to provide information, resources, and support for you, whether or not you decide to disclose your mental health challenges to faculty or peers. Elements that can negatively impact the mental health of women in particular while enrolled in a STEM graduate program are discussed below.
Women pursuing graduate degrees in STEM fields face significant challenges, including systemic barriers, discrimination, and negative interpersonal interactions within their STEM environments (Espinosa, 2011; Wilkins-Yel et al., 2019). For Women of Color (WoC), these challenges are often compounded by the intersecting experiences of both racism and sexism from colleagues and professors (Alexander & Herman, 2015; Anderson et al, 2020). More on challenges that WoC face can be found here.
Many factors force women and WoC in STEM to focus more energy on doing well in their programs and less energy on self-care, placing them at a higher risk for burnout. Following are some key stressors you may experience as a graduate woman in STEM and their psychological impact.
Racism and Sexism
Women and WoC report frequently experiencing gender-racial microaggressions (Wilkins-Yel et al., 2019) and pressure to assimilate to the masculine STEM environment (Ong et al., 2011). These experiences can lead to increased psychological distress. See Recognizing Sexism.
Lack of Belonging and Community
Women in STEM often receive the message that they do not belong, which can create a sense of disconnection from academic and social communities. Isolation can make an already challenging academic path even more stressful and lead to mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety. To avoid this outcome, consider joining an online professional network for women. See Climate for more on belonging.
Inadequate Interpersonal Support
Lack of satisfying support from faculty, staff, and peers can amplify academic challenges and reinforce feelings of inferiority. In the quote below, a Latinx PhD student in mathematics named Gloria shares her attempt to discuss her academic challenges with her professor. Gloria decided to discontinue her program.
“I was trying to approach [my professor] and say, ‘Hey, I’m having all these troubles. What do you suggest? Do you have maybe some book that can help me, or can I set up more time with your office hours?’ His answer was like, ‘Well, have you [sought] help?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, I'm reaching out to you.’ He was like, ‘Well, I cannot help you.’ So, he was more like ‘I know about math... Emotions, overwhelm, anxiety, I cannot help you, but you should reach out to someone that can help you.’”
The dual pandemics of COVID-19 and systemic racism have affected women in STEM by adding external challenges to the existing systemic barriers found in the STEM climate.
In a survey conducted during the peak of the pandemic (May-July 2020), the prevalence of major depressive disorder among graduate students was found to be two times higher when compared to rates in 2019, and the prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder was found to be 1.5 times higher (Chirikov et al., 2020).
A recent report on stress levels in the United States conducted by the American Psychological Association (2021) found that 84% of adults had experienced an emotion associated with prolonged stress within the past two weeks.
Pandemic-related stress has disproportionately impacted communities of color, with 54% of Black Americans, 48% of Hispanic Americans, and 45% of Asian Americans expressing serious concern about the future.
The specific ways that the dual pandemics impact women in STEM are listed below.
COVID-19 Related Stressors
The pandemic has depleted interpersonal support, increased family responsibilities, and significantly reduced access to quiet space for those caring for children and/or residing in multi-generational households (Heyward, 2020). Having to share several spaces with family members is a particularly salient challenge for WoC, who also contend with cultural pressures to care for younger siblings or aging parents.
Acts of Racism and Xenophobia
The current spread of hate and prejudice and the incitement of violence against Black, Latinx, and Asian communities can exacerbate stress and mental health challenges faced by graduate women in STEM. In a 2021 study (Briseño et al., 2021), a graduate WoC in STEM, explained the psychological cost of being bombarded with social media images of police brutality toward unarmed Black men and the subsequent feelings of lack of support from her colleagues in her lab:
"It was hard to go back to the lab when I'm in an environment where everyone else in the lab, whether they be international students or just people who aren't getting the same type of social media barrage with the same imagery when they log onto Facebook or when they log into Instagram or Twitter. I didn't feel like they empathized or could really understand what it felt like to feel so insignificant, even though we're both pursuing the same type of degree. That was a really hard time for me to recover from because I didn't feel like there was anyone... I felt there wasn't anyone."
The quote illustrates the negative mental health impacts of trauma, stress, and isolation resulting from systemic racism and racial underrepresentation in STEM. The “business as usual” mentality within STEM fields in the wake of police brutality led to efforts such as #ShutDownSTEM. Access the link for further information on this effort and how you can do your part to help end systemic racism in STEM.
Sociocultural Pressure to Hold Multiple Roles
Women and WoC often hold and perform several roles at the same time (i.e., mother, financial provider, nurturer, caretaker, along with student, employee). These role assumptions during the COVID-19 pandemic were magnified by limited access to employment benefits as graduate students (e.g., lower wages, less paid sick leave, and less childcare leave), and increased risk of infection due to having others assist in caregiving (i.e., day cares, adult care centers, and extended family; Heyward, 2020).
It is important to note the factors inside and outside of STEM that might contribute to mental health challenges for graduate women. Additionally, it is important to understand how these stressors are further amplified for WoC in STEM. Click here for more information about how intersecting identities might amplify barriers for WoC in the STEM environment.
Mental health challenges derived from barriers inside and outside of STEM can negatively impact the graduate school experience. Not only do these factors affect your overall well-being but they also negatively impact academic and career success in STEM. It is impossible to perform at your best when your mental and/or physical health is suffering.
Decreased Motivation and Energy
If mental health challenges are left unaddressed, the simple task of getting out of bed every day might be much harder, which can in turn lead to a lack of attention to personal and academic responsibilities. Being constantly stressed and worried about academic or personal factors has been shown to negatively impact students’ interest in graduate studies and other activities (Turner & Berry, 2000).
Decreased Academic Success and Research Productivity
We do not do our best when we are not feeling our best, which may be reflected in decreased attendance at classes/meetings, late submissions of assignments, difficulty focusing on writing, or simply not having the headspace to concentrate on academic and research tasks.
Decreased Intentions to Persist
It can be incredibly difficult to succeed in an unsupportive environment. In some cases it may be necessary to step away from this environment to improve well-being. For example, one graduate woman in STEM reported that she decided to leave her doctoral program after realizing the considerable toll the STEM climate had taken on her mental health. For her, leaving was the ultimate act of self-care (Schuyler et al., 2020).
Let’s look at the ways we can help alleviate mental health challenges that graduate women in STEM experience, and, specifically, what steps you can take to overcome mental health challenges during your academic journey.
Across the United States, a number of prominent scholars and organizations have sounded the clarion call to implement structural and systemic-level strategies to address the mental health crisis in STEM (Arnold et al., 2020). For example, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM, 2018) have suggested specific ways institutions and STEM departments can prioritize and support graduate student mental health and wellness. In addition, the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS, 2019) created an initiative to document evidence-based policies and resources to prevent and address psychological distress in graduate students.
Strategies that you can use to attend to your own mental health:
Mental Health Strategies for Women in STEM
Strategy | Examples |
---|---|
Put your mental health and wellness first. Due to cultural messages that encourage us to de-prioritize our mental health, women and WoC are often told, ‘put others’ needs first’, 'keep pushing through' and 'don't talk to strangers about the problem.' | If you notice that the academic and personal challenges are taking a significant psychological toll, pause, take a break, and focus on restoring your mental and emotional health. Prioritize yourself and focus on self-care by doing something you enjoy, such as yoga, dancing, painting, or cooking. |
Talk to someone about your challenges. Sharing our struggles with others can be an extremely effective way of identifying the issue at hand and understanding ourselves better. | Speak up about stress and mental health issues with friends, colleagues, or family members. It might be helpful to find a trusted colleague or person in your program with whom you can vent. |
Seek mental health services. It can be incredibly helpful to have an outside perspective on personal and academic challenges. In fact, counseling has been shown to validate students’ lived experiences, increase self-awareness, provide skill building, and facilitate decision- making among graduate women in STEM (Arnold et al., 2020). | Engage in counseling services through the college counseling center or by other means (private practice, community counseling, counseling through primary care). Find culturally based mental health support, such as spiritual leaders, elders, and other services that might fit your unique needs. |
- If you are having a mental health crisis and need to speak to someone immediately, you can always call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline which is available 24/7 and provides confidential support : 800-273-8255
Self-Test:
What is the best course of action to take when you are experiencing psychological distress, such as feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or burnt out, as a result of your graduate program environment or responsibilities?
- A. Keep your feelings to yourself and get over them. Your advisor and colleagues have enough on their plates and will not be able to help you.
- B. Spend more time on school related work and less time sleeping, eating, and doing activities you enjoy.
- C. Talk openly and honestly with your advisor, mentor, and/or a trusted colleague about the challenges you are facing.
- D. Seek mental health treatment at the counseling center on campus.
- E. Either C or D.
By understanding the systemic factors both within and outside of STEM departments that may lead to mental health challenges for graduate women and WoC in STEM, you can identify and address specific contributors to your own mental health and persistence intentions.
Use the information about strategies to address mental health issues among graduate women and WoC in STEM and start important conversations within your department. Apply the recommendations for graduate students presented here to attend to your own mental health and well-being.
Arnold, A. C., Wilkins-Yel, K. G., Bekki, J. M., Bernstein, B. L., Natarajan, M., Randall, A. K., & Okwu, C. W. (2020, January). Examining the effects of STEM climate on the mental health of graduate women from diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds. In Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Engineering Education. https://doi.org/10.18260/1-2--34617
Briseño, J., Moseley, A., Schuyler, S., Hocker, L., Randall, A. K., Wilkins-Yel, K. G., Bekki, J., & Bernstein, B. (August, 2021) Challenges Faced by Black and Latinx Graduate Women in STEM During COVID-19: A Content Analysis. American Psychological Association Annual Conference (Virtual).
Chirikov, I., Soria, K. M, Horgos, B., & Jones-White, D. (2020). Undergraduate and graduate students’ mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. UC Berkeley: Center for Studies in Higher Education. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/80k5d5hw
Council of Graduate Schools, & The Jed Foundation. (2021). Supporting graduate student mental health and well-being: Evidence-informed recommendations for the graduate community. The Authors.
Espinosa, L. L. (2011). Pipelines and pathways: WoC in undergraduate STEM majors and the college experiences that contribute to persistence. Harvard Educational Review, 81(2), 209–240. https://doi.org/10.17763/haer.81.2.92315ww157656k3u
Evans, T, M., Bira, L., Gastelum, J. B., Weiss, L T., & Vanderford, N. L. (2018). Evidence for a mental health crisis in graduate education. Nature Biotechnology, 36, 282–284. https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt.4089
Garcia-Williams, A. G., Moffitt, L., & Kaslow, N. J. (2014). Mental health and suicidal behavior among graduate students. Academic Psychiatry, 38(5), 554-560. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40596-014-0041-y
Hyun, J.K., Quinn, B.C., Madon, T., & Lustig, S. (2006). Graduate student mental health: Needs assessment and utilization of counseling services. Journal of College Student Development, 47(3), 247-266. https://doi.org/10.1353/csd.2006.0030
Mackie, S. A., & Bates, G.W. (2019). Contribution of the doctoral education environment to PhD Candidates’ mental health problems: A scoping review. Higher Education Research & Development, 38 (3), 565–578. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2018.1556620
Mousavi, M. P. S., Sohrabpour, Z., Anderson, E. L., Stemig-Vindedahl, A., Golden, D., Christenson, G., Bühlmann, P. (2018). Stress and mental health in graduate school: How student empowerment creates lasting change. Journal of Chemical Education, 95(11), 1939–1946. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.8b00188
Ong, M., Wright, C., Espinosa, L. L., & Orfield, G. (2011). Inside the double bind: A synthesis of empirical research on undergraduate and graduate women of color in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Harvard Educational Review, 81(2), 172–208. https://doi.org/10.17763/haer.81.2.t022245n7x4752v2
Szymanski, D., & Lewis, J. (2016). Gendered racism, coping, identity centrality, and African American college women’s psychological distress. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 40(2), 229-243. https://doi.org/10.1177/0361684315616113
UC Berkeley Graduate Assembly. (2014). Graduate student happiness and well-being report. http://ga.berkeley.edu/wellbeingreport
Wilkins-Yel, K. G., Bekki, K., Arnold, A., Bernstein, B., Okwu, C., Natarajan, M., & Randall A. K. (2021). Understanding the impact of personal challenges and advisor support on stem persistence among graduate women of color. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/dhe0000236
Identify The Issue Side Menu
- Overview
- Recognize Sexism
- Recognize Microaggressions
- Family-Friendly Policies
- University Resources
- Online Resources and Supports
- Challenges Faced by Women of Color
- Challenges Faced by First-Generation Students
- Challenges Faced by Sexual and Gender Minorities
- Challenges Faced by International Students
- Academic Generations
- Expectations for Graduate Students
- Stakeholders
- Sexual Harassment
Explains that satisfaction comes from working with students and the opportunity to make new disco
Explains that satisfaction comes from working with students and the opportunity to make new disco
The importance of learning from mistakes and persisting despite setbacks.
The importance of learning from your effort, regardless of the outcome.
Advice on how to seek out support in graduate school and how to bounce back from setbacks.
Shares the excitement that comes from collaborating with others to make new discoveries.
Elaborates on the standard practice of science despite cultural differences.
Strategies for negotiating as a faculty member.
When it's time to graduate and when it's important to start learning on the job.
Highlights the transition into graduate level science where the answers aren't known.
The importance of goal setting and using others' experiences to make strong choices about your own p
Advice for balancing research and fun in graduate school.
Advice for students: stay focused, ask questions, and remain open-minded when working with others.
How to adapt experimental methods to match a lifestyle.
How to negotiate a schedule for raising a family and overcoming setbacks in a new career.
The importance of giving yourself credit and remembering why you are doing what you're doing.
The importance of peer relationships and the learning process that takes place despite concrete outc
Working with graduate students is a rewarding aspect of being a faculty member.
Advice for graduate students on how to maintain their confidence, courage, and dignity.
Emphasizes peer relationships and departmental climate.
How to handle being accused of having an affair with the advisor.
Explains an interdisciplinary branch of physics and the passion for research, service, and teaching.
Teaching as the impetus for work.
Discusses necessary precautions to take as a female student working late nights on campus.
Discusses necessary precautions to take as a female student working late nights on campus.
Being accused of cheating and regrets about not being more assertive.
Being accused of cheating and regrets about not being more assertive.
The importance of self-authorship and using graduate school as a process for self-definition.
Reminder that support can be found in unexpected places.
Urges female graduate students to persist in the field of mathematics because the field needs divers
How being unaware of being the only woman was advantageous to program success.
Alternatives to departmental isolation and the importance of networking.
Environmental issues faced in academia.
The importance of first impressions in choosing a graduate program.
Satisfaction comes from interacting with intelligent people across cultures.
Adjusting physical appearance to fit in with peers.
The importance of remembering that graduate school is only one part of a larger career.
Describes an incident of receiving a lower grade than a man for similar work.
The opportunity for freedom, growth, and collaboration as a faculty member.
How to survive the aftermath of a sexual harassment incident.
Highlights the gendered assumptions encountered as a faculty member.
The Importance of Having Positive Working Relationships: A Case Study
An alternative way to approach being the only woman in a given situation.
Contributions to the field are reflected through choices.
The importance of sharing stories of sexual harassment with others to gain support.
The importance of finding the right advisor to support your research goals.
How to handle being accused of having an affair with the advisor.
Explains when to confront a problem and when it may be better to maneuver around it.
How to be upfront, direct, and assertive when confronting instances of sexual harassment.
Highlights the universal customs of science.
Class performance builds confidence to remain in program.
Captures the annoyance of male colleagues making sexist assumptions and the challenges with conferen
The importance of recognizing the progress that has been made by women in science fields.
Advice for accomplishing your academic goals without making unnecessary compromises.
Emphasizes the challenge with saying no, but the importance of learning to do so.
How to make friends with colleagues to encourage a supportive environment.
Underscores the challenges that come from being the only woman in an academic department and gives s
Highlights an experience in which peers were not only colleagues, but also friends.
How the physical space in a laboratory allowed for collaboration among colleagues.
The importance of a good leader in setting standards for diversity, climate, and tenure policies.
How to observe others' reactions to subtle comments in order to gauge an appropriate response.
Urges students not to get wrapped into issues that do not directly involve them.
Departmental reactions to the choice to have children.
How to refute sexist comments and challenge gendered assumptions.
The importance of sharing stories of sexual harassment with others and realizing that you are not al
Confronting a male colleague with contradictory findings at a conference.
How colleagues can assist in making the transition into graduate life easier by sharing information
Captures the small but noticeable annoyances that come with being the only woman.
The importance of picking your battles to avoid unfair labeling.
Reminder that it is not necessary to feel comfortable socially to do good science.
Gender stereotypes faced in getting into graduate school and conducting research.
How to seek support from administrators outside the department when dealing with departmental sexism
The first realization that being a woman in science was outside the norm.
Challenges of being international and female, particularly with regards to an academic career and th
Suggestions for how to deal with sexist comments.
Playing a variety of roles as the only woman in the department.
The process of establishing yourself in the same department as your spouse.
Emphasizes positive peer relationships within her cohort.
The challenges of working in male-dominated academic environments and the negative stereotypes assoc
The feasibility of pursuing a family and science.
The importance of hearing other people's stories.
The importance of understanding priorities and allocating resources accordingly.
Advises how to keep family informed about research goals and progression from student to faculty mem
Explains some of the setbacks in dating relationships.
Advises students to continue to pursue their education because the payoff is self-respect.
The importance of believing in yourself, admitting your mistakes, and continuing to do what you love
How to accept non-traditional relationships and lifestyles in academia.
Notes the challenges of a dual career marriage and the obstacles in fighting for tenure and balancin
The process of overcoming setbacks related to career options and personal relationships.
How to balance motherhood responsibilities in graduate school.
The importance of supportive peer relationships.
Being married in graduate school and having children as a faculty member.
Advisor's experiences encourage well-informed career decisions.
The importance of a supportive network of colleagues.
Doing something useful to make a difference and how to appreciate a happy, supportive work environme
Taking time off before pursuing her PhD.
How a supportive department and a modified teaching schedule allowed for maternity leave.
How to sustain taking time off and pursuing the PhD later in life.
Advises how to keep family informed about research goals and progression from student to faculty mem
The importance of a supportive extended family in helping to balance school and children.
The importance of having a number of things in your life that bring you joy and satisfaction.
Understanding your strengths and weaknesses, but ultimately giving yourself recognition for your suc
The importance of learning over time and remaining positive in the face of criticism.
Motivation for doing work: interacting with students and doing research that can make a difference i
Emphasizes the challenge with saying no, but the importance of learning to do so.
The importance of remaining passionate and remembering that the PhD opens doors.
The importance of defining clear goals, remaining self-confident, and learning to say no.
The importance of allowing yourself the opportunity to change your mind and reconsider your goals.
The importance of knowing what you want and expecting tradeoffs on the path to get it.
Making discoveries and collaborating with others brings satisfaction.
Creating a schedule and meeting an advisor's expectations.
Advises graduate students to take a semester off if they choose to have a child because it is too ch
Explains the role children play in career choices.
Using leisure activities to relieve stress and build friendships.
The satisfaction that comes from working with colleagues and interacting with others.
The decision to get married in graduate school.
The importance of maintaining a balanced lifestyle to alleviate stress.
Addresses personal relationship sacrifices.
The importance of nurturing relationships outside of academia.
Explains the choice to have children in graduate school.
Challenges with being married to a fellow academician and finding faculty positions.
How a flexible schedule as a professor made it possible to have a family and a career.
The importance of evaluating your priorities to create balance and happiness.
Appreciation for advisor's assistance in transitioning to the US.
Emphasizes the joy in working with others and giving back to society.
Chronicles the evolution of a career over time.
Suggestions for how to increase women's participation in science with an emphasis on policy change.
The importance of being open and honest with your advisor.
How a positive advisor challenged his students to think for themselves.
Highlights the obstacles faced when trying to have research reviewed by the advisor and emphasizes t
The importance of having a variety of mentors throughout your graduate experience.
Challenges faced with establishing yourself as an independent researcher separate from an influentia
The importance of asking questions and searching for creative solutions to new problems.
The importance of finding a good advisor and making sure to get everything in writing.
Challenges in confronting the advisor with news of pregnancy.
Experiences with an international advisor.
How to maintain good relationships with colleagues while being motivated to finish the program qu
The importance of giving back to students and making an impact in their future education and care
An Arizona State University project, supported by the National Science Foundation under grants 0634519, 0910384 and 1761278
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. © 2021 CareerWISE. All rights reserved. Privacy | Legal
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