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Risk of Interruption of Doctoral Studies and Mental Health in PhD Students

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  • Sara M. González-Betancor

    (Departamento de Métodos Cuantitativos en Economía y Gestión, and Economía de la Salud y Políticas Públicas, Facultad de Economía Empresa y Turismo, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), 35017 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain)

  • Pablo Dorta-González

    (Department of Quantitative Methods in Economics and Management, and Institute TiDES, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), 35017 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain)

Abstract

PhD students report a higher prevalence of mental illness symptoms than highly educated individuals in the general population. This situation presents a serious problem for universities. Thus, the knowledge about this phenomenon is of great importance in decision-making. In this paper we use the Nature PhD survey 2019 and estimate several binomial logistic regression models to analyze the risk of interrupting doctoral studies. This risk is measured through the desire of change in either the supervisor or the area of expertise, or the wish of not pursue a PhD. Among the explanatory factors, we focus on the influence of anxiety/depression, discrimination, and bullying. As control variables we use demographic characteristics and others related with the doctoral program. Insufficient contact time with supervisors, and exceeding time spent studying crossing the 50-h week barrier, are risk factors of PhD studies interruption, but the most decisive risk factor is poor mental health. Universities should therefore foster an environment of well-being, which allows the development of autonomy and resilience of their PhD students or, when necessary, which fosters the development of conflict resolution skills.

Suggested Citation

  • Sara M. González-Betancor & Pablo Dorta-González, 2020. "Risk of Interruption of Doctoral Studies and Mental Health in PhD Students," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 8(10), pages 1-12, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jmathe:v:8:y:2020:i:10:p:1695-:d:423228
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Levecque, Katia & Anseel, Frederik & De Beuckelaer, Alain & Van der Heyden, Johan & Gisle, Lydia, 2017. "Work organization and mental health problems in PhD students," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(4), pages 868-879.
    2. Ed Diener & Derrick Wirtz & William Tov & Chu Kim-Prieto & Dong-won Choi & Shigehiro Oishi & Robert Biswas-Diener, 2010. "New Well-being Measures: Short Scales to Assess Flourishing and Positive and Negative Feelings," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 97(2), pages 143-156, June.
    3. Kelly Bedard & Elizabeth Dhuey, 2006. "The Persistence of Early Childhood Maturity: International Evidence of Long-Run Age Effects," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 121(4), pages 1437-1472.
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    Cited by:

    1. Tommy Tanu Wijaya & Boran Yu & Fei Xu & Zhiqiang Yuan & Mailizar Mailizar, 2023. "Analysis of Factors Affecting Academic Performance of Mathematics Education Doctoral Students: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-23, March.

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