Cited by 1,182Doctoral Education Challenges and SolutionsStudent Stress and CopingHealthcare professionals’ stress and burnout

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 75 of the 80 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; 4 of the 65 sources its claims cite were checked for support.

Work organization and mental health problems in PhD students

Open access
Levecque, Katia, Anseel, Frederik, De Beuckelaer, Alain, Van der Heyden, Johan, Gisle, Lydia·2017·Research Policy

Published version of a preprint

Abstract

Research policy observers are increasingly concerned about the potential impact of current academic working conditions on mental health, particularly in PhD students. The aim of the current study is threefold. First, we assess the prevalence of mental health problems in a representative sample of PhD students in Flanders, Belgium (N = 3659). Second, we compare PhD students to three other samples: (1) highly educated in the general population (N = 769); (2) highly educated employees (N = 592); and (3) higher education students (N = 333). Third, we assess those organizational factors relating to the role of PhD students that predict mental health status. Results based on 12 mental health symptoms (GHQ-12) showed that 32% of PhD students are at risk of having or developing a common psychiatric disorder, especially depression. This estimate was significantly higher than those obtained in the comparison groups. Organizational policies were significantly associated with the prevalence of mental health problems. Especially work-family interface, job demands and job control, the supervisor’s leadership style, team decision-making culture, and perception of a career outside academia are linked to mental health problems.

Overview

AI snapshot

Written from the paper’s full text.

TL;DR

In a representative Flemish sample of 3,659 PhD students, 32% screened at GHQ4+ for risk of a common psychiatric disorder, and 51% reported at least two GHQ-12 symptoms. Mental health problems were more prevalent than in three comparison groups and were linked to work-family conflict, job demands and control, supervisor leadership, team decision-making, and career perceptions.

Key findings

  • Prevalence among PhD students was 51% for GHQ2+, 40% for GHQ3+, and 32% for GHQ4+. The most common symptoms included constant strain, unhappiness/depression, sleep loss from worry, difficulty overcoming problems, and reduced enjoyment of daily activities.
  • Compared with the highly educated general population, PhD students had adjusted risk ratios of 1.90 for GHQ2+, 2.26 for GHQ3+, and 2.43 for GHQ4+. Compared with highly educated employees, the corresponding ratios were 2.02, 2.56, and 2.84; compared with higher education students, they were 1.53, 1.63, and 1.85.
  • Work-family conflict was the strongest predictor in relative-weight terms (34.1% for GHQ2+ and 29.8% for GHQ4+). Job demands had ORs of 1.896 for GHQ2+ and 1.651 for GHQ4+; job control had ORs of 0.784 and 0.631; family-work conflict had ORs of 1.206 and 1.296; work-family conflict had ORs of 1.521 and 1.522.
  • Inspirational supervisor leadership was associated with lower odds (OR 0.868 for GHQ2+, 0.908 for GHQ4+), laissez-faire leadership with higher distress odds (OR 1.084 for GHQ2+), and closed team decision-making with higher GHQ4+ odds (OR 1.205). No discipline differences were found; executing-phase students had lower odds than initiating-phase students, and positive career perceptions inside or outside academia were associated with better mental health.

Methods

  • Cross-sectional 2013 web survey of junior researchers at all Flemish universities; the analytic sample was 3,659 PhD students from a total population of 12,191, with a 33% response rate. Selective non-response analyses showed slightly more women, younger respondents, social scientists, and Belgians than in the total population.
  • Comparison groups came from Belgian Health Interview Surveys: highly educated general population (N = 769), highly educated employees (N = 592), and higher education students (N = 333, pooled across 2001, 2004, 2008, and 2013).
  • Mental health was measured with the GHQ-12 using GHQ2+, GHQ3+, and GHQ4+ thresholds. Analyses included adjusted risk ratios controlling for age and gender, and logistic regressions producing odds ratios, relative weights, and Nagelkerke R² values (0.202 for GHQ2+ and 0.204 for GHQ4+), with controls for gender, age, partner, and children.

Limitations

  • The paper states that the cross-sectional design prevents causal conclusions, including possible self-selection or the alternative that distressed PhD students evaluate their environment more negatively.
  • The paper also states that findings may be specific to Flanders, that financial conditions differ from countries where PhD students face more financial worries, and that GHQ4+ is a probabilistic screening measure rather than a clinical diagnosis.
  • Evident from the text: the 33% response rate and selective non-response may affect prevalence estimates; all mental health measures are self-reported; and the higher education student comparison group was pooled across multiple survey years.

Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1016/j.respol.2017.02.008

Cites

75 of 75 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Verification

Claims the paper makes

4 of 65 cited sources checked · 0 supported · 0 flagged · accuracy not yet measured

Show all 74 claims

  • Probably not a substantial claim. 45
  • It may state two separate claims as one. 30
60 of 60
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The sample of 3659 PhD students in Flanders, Belgium is representative of the population of PhD students in Flanders.

    “a representative sample of PhD students in Flanders, Belgium (N = 3659)”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The comparison groups (highly educated general population, highly educated employees, higher education students) are comparable to PhD students for the purpose of comparing mental health prevalence.

    “we compare PhD students to three other samples: (1) highly educated in the general population (N = 769); (2) highly educated employees (N = 592); and (3) higher education students (N = 333).”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Official registration of both staff and student mental health problems by universities is relatively low.

    “Official registration of both staff and student mental health problems (e.g.depression, anxiety, burnout or emotional exhaustion) by universities is relatively low, which seems to be in stark contrast with the picture painted in media reports.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Previous research on well-being and mental health in academia has usually been restricted to one specific discipline or university.

    “Previous research on well-being and mental health in academia has usually been restricted to one specific discipline or university.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Most PhD students in Flanders receive a scholarship or are formally employed by a university.

    “Most PhD students in Flanders receive a scholarship or are formally employed by a university.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The diagnosis as to whether an individual actually has a clinically significant disorder must be assessed by psychiatric interview.

    “The diagnosis as to whether an individual actually has a clinically significant disorder must be assessed by psychiatric interview.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    In the long run, mental health problems in PhD students will impact on research itself.

    “In the long run, however, it will also impact on research itself.”
7 of 7

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.

  • GHQ items are assigned to the wrong table

    Minor

    The text says Table 3 presents the 12 GHQ items, but Table 3 reports PhD-student characteristics. The GHQ symptom rows appear in Table 4.

  • The reported GHQ4+ range omits a higher value in Table 2

    Minor

    The text gives 41.8% as the upper end of the UK GHQ4+ results, but Table 2 also reports 43.4% for a UK academic sample.

2 of 2

Citations

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Metadata

Authors
Levecque, K., Anseel, F., De Beuckelaer, A., Van der Heyden, J., & Gisle, L.
Affiliations
  • Ghent University (BE)
  • Institut Scientifique de Santé Publique (BE)
Corresponding author
Levecque, Katia
Venue
Research Policy
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2017-05
Volume
46
Issue
4
Pages
868-879
ISSN
0048-7333 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2595745805
Cited by
1,182
References
80
Citations by year
2026: 141 · 2025: 120 · 2024: 166 · 2023: 153 · 2022: 163 · 2021: 141 · 2020: 131 · 2019: 93 · 2018: 58 · 2017: 16
FWCI
131.66
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Research Policy (publishedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • Ghent University Academic Bibliography (Ghent University) (submittedVersion)
  • Research Portal (King's College London) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • Rare & Special e-Zone (The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology) (submittedVersion)
  • Radboud Repository (Radboud University) (submittedVersion)
  • SocArXiv (OSF Preprints) (submittedVersion)
  • SocArXiv (OSF Preprints) (submittedVersion, public-domain)
Funders
Ministry of Work, Economy, Innovation and Sports
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Education › Doctoral Education Challenges and Solutions
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Student Stress and Coping
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Healthcare professionals’ stress and burnout
Keywords
doctoral students, mental health, work organization, academic working conditions, depression, job demands, job control, supervisor leadership, work-family interface, university students, highly educated employees

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