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Harsh criticism and unreasonable expectations worsen PhD students’ mental health

Research and teaching pressures can exacerbate anxiety and depression, causing many young scientists to consider quitting, a survey finds.
By
  1. Nikki Forrester

    1. Nikki Forrester is a science journalist based in Davis, West Virginia.

Graduate students with anxiety and depression say that their symptoms are exacerbated by the pressures of research and teaching, fuelled by overly harsh criticism and being held to unreasonable expectations, a survey finds.

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-04187-3

References

  1. Busch, C. A., Wiesenthal, N. J., Gin, L. E. & Cooper, K. M. Nature Biotechnol. 42, 1749–1753 (2024).

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  2. Evans, T., Bira, L., Gastelum, J., Weiss, L. T. & Vanderford, N. L. Nature Biotechnol. 36, 282–284 (2018).

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