Mindfulness can help PhD students shift from surviving to thriving Karen Barry, University of Tasmania; Emma Warnecke, University of Tasmania, and Megan Woods, University of Tasmania Undertaking a PhD can be very stressful, due to a range of challenges. These include having to develop discipline expertise as well as generic skills (such as academic writing and maintaining motivation) during a largely solo pursuit. Concern has been growing about the prevalence of mental health issues (such as depression and anxiety) among PhD candidates. A survey of more than 2,000 graduate research students from 26 countries published this year found they were six times as likely to experience depression or anxiety as the general population. Read more: Doing a PhD can be a lonely business but it doesn’t have to be A study of PhD students in the United States showed that of those who identified as experiencing depression or anxiety, 84% did not seek help from university support services. Perhaps, then, the best way to help PhD candidates is to give them the skills and strategies to manage their stress. Earlier this month, we published a study in the Journal of American College Health. It provides evidence that practising mindfulness can…
