ERIC Number: EJ1183604
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018
Pages: 23
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1360-080X
EISSN: N/A
Doctoral Students' Access to Non-Academic Support for Mental Health
Waight, Emma; Giordano, Aline
Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, v40 n4 p390-412 2018
Increased doctoral student numbers has led to a growth in studies dedicated to doctoral experience. These studies have raised a range of mental health concerns around workload, supervision processes and student well-being. Despite these challenges being well documented, few studies have looked at doctoral student's experiences of accessing non-academic support services. This article presents the findings of a mixed-method study to investigate doctoral experiences of non-academic support, conducted at one British university with a large postgraduate research population. Drawing on focus groups and a student survey, the article concludes that many doctoral students are not accessing institutional support when they could benefit from it, with many turning to external support mechanisms including family, personal doctor and online resources. Five institutional recommendations are proposed to develop improved dedicated doctoral student mental health support: clear signposting, online self-help, workshops, parity of support and supervisor training.
Descriptors: Doctoral Programs, College Students, Access to Education, Mental Health Programs, Mixed Methods Research, Focus Groups, Student Surveys, Student Participation, Ancillary School Services, Student Experience, Social Support Groups, Teacher Role, Change Strategies, Student Attitudes, Foreign Countries
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United Kingdom
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A