Postgraduate Research Mental Health at UEA, Exams of Communication

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The

Honesty

Project

Postgraduate

Research

Mental Health

at UEA

The Key Areas:

• Introduction Page
• Background Page 4-
• Methodology Page
• The Headlines Page
• The PGR Community Page 8-
• Expectations Page 10-
• Work/Life Balance Page 12-
• Support Services Page 14-
• Summary of Recommendations Page
• Appendix Page 17-

Background

For a number of years there has been a growing concern that postgraduate research students disproportionally suffer from a variety of mental health conditions. There has been some speculation as to the causes in the media, much it focusing on the increasingly resilience required to complete a PhD or doctoral-level qualification. Convention wisdom, as to be found in the likes of PhD Comics, is that when it comes to the impact on wellbeing, it really is “tough to complete a PhD”.

These allusions to the issues surround PGR mental health were brought to national attention in the summer of 2015 when research carried out by Exeter Guild of Students revealed some shocking statistics on the mental health of their members.^1 In their research some 85% of the 165 respondents stated that their work had caused them stress but, much more alarmingly, 40% believed that their physical and mental health had worsened as a result of studying at a doctoral-level.

The key questions are likely to be: what are the issues that mean there is a PGR-specific problem (as opposed to UG/PGT), and why is this a problem now. Some of the potential causes have been identified by NUS and other commentators:

• Marketisation: uncertainty of research contracts + increased focus on metric-driven targets within research
• Culture of acceptance
• Pressure on institutional support structures
• More external pressures – family, work, etc.
• Independent structure – independent research can be isolating, less contact with academics and peers, big change from UG/PGT
• Complex workloads – juggling multiple things at once, often hit bottlenecks and unforeseen obstacles
• Career pressures – part-time work, pressure to publish/attend conferences/write proposals
• Funding and resources – often a perpetual issue
• Relationship with supervisor(s)

Some of these issues are traditionally accepted aspects of consequences of doctoral-level study, such as the possible impact of an independent mode of study on wellbeing. Others however, such as the increasingly insecurity in the academic labour market, are comparatively recent contributions. What appears

(^1) https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/forty-per-cent-of-phds-at-exeter-suffer-ill-health-study-

reveals/2019540.article

to be the case is that rather than a change in HE policy or another easily- identifiable single cause, the roots of the problem are more likely to constitute a series of quantitative changes summating into a ‘perfect storm’. In some of these instances it may be that PGR students, as often being on the ‘coal face’, find themselves disproportionately affected by changes in research culture within institutions driven by policy changes on a national level.

Students made clear to the Union of UEA Students that this was an issue they wished to explore at UEA and so in the autumn term the SU developed a programme intended to raise the profile of PGR mental health under the banner of ‘The Honesty Project’ – named to reflect the focus on our aim to get students and academics talking and being honest about PGR Mental Health. The beginning of this was the issuing a survey with the aim to gauge the scope of the perceived problem at UEA. The result of this survey are laid out in the following sections which aim to draw together themes identified by our Postgraduate research community. The Union of UEA Students is under no illusion that this report is exhaustive and, if anything, it has served to make clear that this is an area of work which will require continued and probing work over the next few years – but want we want to do is to start a conversation that acknowledges this issue for the crisis that we believe it has become.

The Headlines

From the initial analysis the key finding of the survey were as follows:

 77% of respondents had suffered stress whilst studying

 Some 76% of respondents had suffered with anxiety whilst studying

 58% stated that they had been depressed whilst studying

 52% reported that they had sleeping problems whilst studying

 45% experienced isolation and loneliness whilst studying

 Only 6% of respondents reported that they had no experience of mental health issues whilst studying

Following this question, we asked to what extent their studies were a factor in lessening their mental health. 80% said it was a contributor with 24% saying it was very strongly a factor.

When asked to expand on why they had selected the answer above one respondent said: “The narrative from the very first induction of my PhD was that it would "break" me, "drive me mad" and make me "miserable"”

Things which were regularly reported as things which impacted on mental health were:

 Studies and anxiety/stress around performance

 A lack of personal or academic support for students

 The effect of isolation and loneliness of study

 The financial burden of study

One respondent also commented on the competitive, “winners and losers” narrative surrounding PGR study saying “Making comparisons between myself and others caused anxiety and depression.”

Community

Clearly due to the nature of postgraduate research level study, the importance of a robust and supportive community takes on additional importance. Throughout the research a number of respondents raised the lack of community and peers support as something which negatively impacted on their mental wellbeing.

“I feel supervisors are very supportive [sic], but there are a lack of social or 'community' supports for PGR Students”

It became apparent that those students who worked in district subject areas, rather than in laboratories for example, faced specific challenges around isolation and the effects of this.

“There is a lot of self-doubt and it is a very lonely thing to do. There is not strong sense of community”

Those who take time away from UEA also face difficult situations with re- assimilating on their return to study:

“When I came back from field work I had a breakdown, which took me a few years to fully recover from. I became very isolated and lost contact with all my friends”

When asked to rank where students would seek well-being support the two most highly rated answers were “family” and “friends” with 71% selecting family as the most likely place to turn for support and 77% saying friends. Whilst supervisors were and other services were well thought of, these results undoubtedly outline the importance of a close personal support network.

The importance of facilitating a healthy culture of peer support and community networks was highlighted in particular. This can function as a ‘release valve’ for the tensions and pressures that many students face. However one respondent felt that more work was to be done in facilitating school-based communities:

“There is no culture of pastoral support at UEA within Schools”

These networks should exist at every level: recognising that, for example, the culture existing in some lab-based networks can present their own tensions and pressures. One respondent felt concerned at what they felt was:

“[…]Disgusting treatment of PhD in other labs by their awful supervisors really depresses me. Especially when I cannot do anything about it and the university resents my involvement.”

The lack of this network, and therefor support, becomes more pronounced when we look at international students. Aspects of International PGR student wellbeing is something we wish to consider in more depth as part of future research projects. 45% of respondents reported from suffering from isolation/loneliness during their studies. One respondent said:

Expectations

A recurring theme in our data was one around expectations. Expectations in terms of being aware of what is expected of a PGR student and then in turn what the student can reasonably expect from others.

Students reported that they would benefit from clarity on the type and amount of work that their study will involve, as well as better support in being able to recognise their own capacities.

“The pressure to produce publications led to anxiety, and I felt disappointed with myself why I couldn't meet the challenge.”

Some students implied that they felt they were not fully aware of what doctoral- level would entail and of how they could gain support and guidance as part-time of a predominately independent mode of study. Students also reported that there was a perceived pressure to gain skills and experiences outside of core learning outcomes that presented a further burden:

“[…], it was more a case of being expected to do extra in the student community, the pressure of having as many experiences and extra activities to add to your CV as possible.”

“There is endless pressure that your PhD is not enough and that we should be doing outreach activities/ networking/publishing/conferences etc.”

The expectations placed on PGR students by supervisors or research teams in particular came out as something which could be detrimental to PGR student mental health.

“The pressure put on me by my supervisor caused stress and anxiety.”

Another student comment that members of the PGR community were also making, at times, unfair judgements about what could reasonably be expected of one another:

“I feel that there is a bit of a culture of being expected to work as much as possible among some groups of students and with some supervisors. When I've had to work less hours, or come in at slightly irregular times because of some of my mental health issues, I've nearly always received a negative comment about it from someone in my office.”

Many of the comments in the survey indicated that supervisors’ expectations vary hugely and put some students out of their comfort zones. An examples of this that was mentioned several times throughout the survey was the pressure to teach on top of the research aspects of the course, and the comparative lack of guidance that came with this.

Of 27 respondents who choose to comment on feeling pressured to do more or take on additional responsibilities, 17 put this down to pressures from others rather than feeling the need to “push themselves”. It’s apparent that whilst there is some weight in saying that PGR students strive to take on additional

things, for a variety of reasons, a number are also feeling that this is something levied at them by others.

The issue of developing resilience and skill in managing stress and the pressure of postgraduate research level study was alluded to by a number of respondents in the research.

“Pressure at work is normal […] But I had never had the health problems I've had here during my PhD and I had never seen people quitting because they had a nervous breakdown.”

Resilience training is already thought to be critical in schools such as MED and HSC where students are often placed in highly stressful and emotive situations. It is possible that resilience training could be incorporated into the training outcomes for PGR students more generally, in order to deal better with setbacks and to help students to manage their own expectations. There is a concern however that incorporating themes of resilience into PGR training does not address the question as to whether it is appropriate that students should require extensive resilience in order to complete doctoral-level study.

Recommendations

1. To consider how primary supervisors provide pastoral care, and to ensure that all academic and administrative staff expected to deliver that support are trained to the appropriate level.
2. To ensure that the development of skills to enable students to manage their own expectations of workload and capacity is properly integrated as core aspects of the research training framework, and is considered in the Doctoral Training Working Group. Particular consideration should be given to building upon and expanding the support offered in developing those skills through the Learning Enhancement Team.

“Working has been both a blessing and a curse. I enjoy that it offers me an alternative to my studies, and prevents me from getting too bogged down in the PhD, but it has certainly inhibited my ability to work consistently and effectively on my own research”

This was also true of work as an Associate Tutor which one respondent stated was:

“[…] detrimental. Preparation time was not adequately remunerated and there was no support or guidance from school.”

And another saying:

“It took up a large chunk of my time, and I was left with a little time to do the course work. I got self-esteem and purpose and a sense of competence from working when my course and tutors robbed me of those things.”

The balance between paid employment and funding are of course intrinsically linked, this was highlighted by a number of respondents commenting on the pressure they are under due to financial constraints:

“There is immense time pressure on you due to funding. It is very difficult to complete it in three years if you have any other commitments and asking people to work for free in the fourth year isn't an option for many people.”

The act of balancing between necessary paid-employment and being in a position to complete their studies is commonly played out in the minds of PGR students with one respondent commenting that in their experience:

“[…] financial circumstances are likely to be significant influences upon feelings of wellbeing.”

Recommendations

1. To ensure consideration is given, as part of the ongoing review of PGR employment, to the impact of teaching responsibilities on mental health and wellbeing. In particular, to ensure that teaching workload is structured appropriately and students are supported to managing time for those commitments.

2. There should be more recognition of the increased pressure to accumulate additional experience and employability skills alongside studies. This should be reflected within workload models, to allow students to develop in this area without it being detrimental to their PGR study.

Support Services

The survey indicated that a large proportion of PGR students are not aware of aspects of available support services, with the Students’ Union scoring particularly low. Many of the comments also indicated that even when students are aware of support available, it is difficult to access them or that staff do not have sufficient knowledge or ability to empathise with the experience of being a PGR student. Worryingly, 28% of respondents were unaware of the SU advice function, and a further 17% had heard of the Dean of Students’ Office but stated they would not know how to access it.

In responses it was clear that PGR students recognised the critical importance of a range of support services at UEA. One respondent stated that:

“Support service (counselling) is extremely important to get stuff off your chest and to get some useful (and most importantly independent) advice.”

Respondents also seemed to identify the importance of early interventions and preventative mental health support as well as counselling and other, more intensive support methods.

“[…] provisions must be made to support all students continuously throughout their period of study. Post grads should have more mental health support and they should be made aware of the services available when they begin their studies, rather than when the situation is already bad and they need help.”

Students respondents were aware that and had experience of lack of training for “frontline” staff. One noted that:

“I have found that administrative staff are ill-informed and under-trained in mental health issues. When I initially raised my own challenges with them they were really unhelpful.”

As for the pastoral care role offered within schools through PGR directors, 27% of students stated that they were unaware of support available, with 19% being aware but not knowing how to access it. One respondent appear to question the suitability of that role in certain cases:

“My 'confidential' conversation with the PGR director about this tenuous arrangement ended up not being very confidential as both supervisors were approached, despite my requesting confidentiality. It has resulted in my feeling vulnerable and not having anyone to talk to about my concerns.”

Students report ongoing concerns around the wait times for counselling appointments in the Dean of Students. There have been reports of students being referred out of the Dean of Students Office to inappropriate alternatives such as the multi-faith centre due to the workload of appropriate support. Respondents were aware of the pressure on services at UEA, but felt more could be done to ensure students acquire an adequate-level of support:

“I was told that while there were such services, they were heavily oversubscribed and if I wanted such support, I should apply for Disabled Students Allowance and they could do much more for me.”

Summary of recommendations

Community recommendations

1. There should be a recognition of the importance of support networks and communities at all levels: at school, faculty, and institutional level, and to ensure that each level of support is resourced adequately. The SU should be recognised as a key partner in the facilitating of a PGR community and supported accordingly, in particular in developing the new Graduate Centre into being a ‘central hub’ for the PGR student community.
2. Special attention should be paid to groups of students who may find it more challenging to integrate into the academic communities. Where necessary additional resource should be identified to support the integration of international students, student parents, part-time students and those who learn at distance.

Expectation recommendations

3. To consider how primary supervisors provide pastoral care, and to ensure that all academic and administrative staff expected to deliver that support are trained to the appropriate level.
4. To ensure that the development of skills to enable students to manage their own expectations of workload and capacity is properly integrated as core aspects of the research training framework, and is considered in the Doctoral Training Working Group. Particular consideration should be given to building upon and expanding the support offered in developing those skills through the Learning Enhancement Team.

Work/Life balance recommendations

5. To ensure consideration is given, as part of the ongoing review of PGR employment, to the impact of teaching responsibilities on mental health and wellbeing. In particular, to ensure that teaching workload is structured appropriately and students are supported to managing time for those commitments.
6. There should be more recognition of the increased pressure to accumulate additional experience and employability skills alongside studies. This should be reflected within workload models, to allow students to develop in this area without it being detrimental to their PGR study.

Support services recommendations:

7. For the university to conduct a review into its provision for mental health and wellbeing support for PGR students. Particular focus should be given to the provision of pastoral care within schools, and on the portfolio of support offered through the Dean of Students’ Office.
8. For the university to commit to developing a comprehensive mental health strategy, and ensure a particular focus on PGR mental health and wellbeing. This should include a strategy for investment in early intervention/preventive care for PGR students, considering best practice from across the sector.

‘The Honesty Project’ Appendix A –

initial findings

Q. 3 – where have you lived whilst studying?

Most respondents, around 83%, stated that they live within 15 miles from

UEA campus. UEA should be making the most of this in terms of extra-

curricular or Norwich-based post-graduate activities for students to

partake in outside of their studies.

Even though PGR projects do not involve as many contact hours as PGT

or Undergraduate studies, it was a surprise to see that nearly 10% live

more than 30 miles away from UEA. This could introduce issues of

potential isolation or extra stress with having to travel a long distance or

being unable to easily drop into campus.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Percentage

on campus

off campus, in norwich city centre

between 5 and 15 miles from UEA

between 15 and 30 miles from UEA

more than 30 miles from UEA

Q. 4 – Please describe your employment status whilst studying.

55% of respondents stated that they have not been working whilst

studying, which could contribute to wellbeing issues around worrying

about money and financing their studies. Of those who have had a job

whilst studying, 26% work 1-10 hours a week, and around 12% work

between 11 and 30 hours a week. 8% of respondents stated that they

hold a full-time job alongside their studies. Although this data does not

indicate whether this is predominantly students on a part-time course, it

is still incredibly relevant to know. Even on a part-time course, to be

working full-time alongside would mean a very full working week with

potential difficulties in balancing paid work and study.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

unemployed working 1-10 hours a week

working 11- hours a week

working 21- hours a week

working 30+ hours a week

Percentage

Axis Title