MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING A s many as two out of three Americans say they have no close friends and 29 per cent of the US population live alone, while for the UK that figure is 15 per cent. US Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy increases substantially. This upward trend continues throughout the course of their studies, with estimates showing a 40 per cent increase by the fifth year compared to pre-PhD levels. After five years, which represents the average duration of PhD studies in the sample, the use of psychiatric medication shows a notable decrease. Bergvall suggests that the problems experienced by PhD students are most likely primarily driven by the study programme itself, rather than being influenced by the type of individuals who choose this path. Overall, older students, women and individuals with a history of mental healthcare (but who were not medicating at the onset of their PhD courses) have a higher risk of having to take psychiatric medication during the course of their studies. So, what are the factors that exacerbate poor
recently stated that loneliness has an impact on health that is equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day; other health-related impacts include diabetes, blood pressure, coronary heart disease and strokes. Connie Hadley of the Institute for Life at Work in Boston suggests that a high proportion of employees feel lonely in the workplace, with side-effects such as depression and anxiety commonly experienced. A 2023 study from Glassdoor Economic Research revealed that over half of employees with less than five years’ work experience across all ages and sectors feel lonely “all or most of the time”. Meanwhile, a report for a UK All-Party Parliamentary Group that same year highlighted that around 10 per cent of all employees in the country experience loneliness in a work setting. Often, loneliness manifests as a chronic condition where emotional closeness with colleagues is elusive. Individuals may hold an internal belief that implies few people truly know them, or would support them in times of need. It’s becoming clearer that despite advancements in social media and technological communication tools, the human need for genuine connection persists. Issues around loneliness in the workplace are being replicated in the higher education space. In recent years, for example, there has been particular interest in the relationship between poor mental health and young PhD students. University of Gothenburg researcher Sanna Bergvall led a comprehensive, longitudinal study on this subject from 2005 to 2017. The ensuing data demonstrates a worrying prevalence of mental health issues among PhD students. The analysis indicates that, in the years preceding PhD studies, prospective students are being prescribed psychiatric medication at a rate similar to that of a matched sample of individuals holding a master’s degree. However, following the start of their PhD studies, the use of psychiatric medication among students
mental health among young PhD students and what can senior academic leaders – and indeed students themselves – do to improve the situation? Working in isolation PhD studies are highly demanding. There is a huge workload of independent/solo research and long working hours. The pressure to produce original work often means students exclude themselves from their peers and feel isolated. Reflecting on the start of his PhD journey, Dr Ken Baker, NIHR advanced fellow at Newcastle University and consultant rheumatologist, recalls that his supervisor warned him: “It’s going to be a lonely process.” Satrupa Ghosh, professor of marketing and entrepreneurship at Hult International Business School, agrees: “It was an extremely siloed experience; the level of self-discipline I had to work towards was exceptional,” she notes. “The pressure to produce original work often means students exclude themselves from their peers and feel isolated”
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Business Impact • ISSUE 1 • 2025
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