Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 Oct 18;18(10):e0291555.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291555. eCollection 2023.

Research disruption during PhD studies and its impact on mental health: Implications for research and university policy

Maria Aristeidou  1 , Angela Aristidou  2
Affiliations

Research disruption during PhD studies and its impact on mental health: Implications for research and university policy

Maria Aristeidou et al. PLoS One. .

Erratum in

Abstract

Research policy observers are increasingly concerned about the impact of the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic on university research. Yet we know little about the effect of this disruption, specifically on PhD students, their mental health, and their research progress. This study drew from survey responses of UK PhD students during the Covid-19 pandemic. We explored evidence of depression and coping behaviour (N = 1780), and assessed factors relating to demographics, PhD characteristics, Covid-19-associated personal circumstances, and significant life events that could explain PhD student depression during the research disruption (N = 1433). The majority of the study population (86%) reported a negative effect on their research progress during the pandemic. Results based on eight mental health symptoms (PHQ-8) showed that three in four PhD students experienced significant depression. Live-in children and lack of funding were among the most significant factors associated with developing depression. Engaging in approach coping behaviours (i.e., those alleviating the problem directly) related to lower levels of depression. By assessing the impact of research disruption on the UK PhD researcher community, our findings indicate policies to manage short-term risks but also build resilience in academic communities against current and future disruptions.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. PHQ-8 depression frequency scores.
Fig 2
Fig 2. Coping behaviour items and frequency. AV = Avoidant; AP = Approach.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. QS Quacquarelli Symonds. The Coronavirus Crisis and the Future of Higher Education [Internet]. London; [cited 2023 Jan 15]. Available from: https://www.qs.com/portfolio-items/the-coronavirus-crisis-and-the-future...
    1. International Monetary Fund (IMF). Policy Responses to COVID19 [Internet]. Policy Responses to COVID-19. Policy tracker by country. 2021. [cited 2023 Jan 15]. Available from: https://www.imf.org/en/Topics/imf-and-covid19/Policy-Responses-to-COVID-19
    1. O’Malley B. 180 congressmen support call for US$26bn research support. University World News [Internet]. 2020. [cited 2023 Jan 15]; Available from: https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20200502080814674
    1. Universities UK. Achieving stability in the UK higher education sector following COVID-19 [Internet]. 2020. [cited 2023 Jan 15]. Available from: https://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/policy-and-analysis/reports/Pages/achie...
    1. El Masri A, Sabzalieva E. Dealing with disruption, rethinking recovery: Policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in higher education. Policy Des Pract [Internet]. 2020. [cited 2023 Jan 21];3(3):312–33. Available from: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/25741292.2020.1813359 - DOI