Rethinking doctoral wellbeing: A relational approach to the mental health crisis in academia

Abstract

The mental health crisis among doctoral students is of pressing concern, with high rates of anxiety, depression, and burnout that severely impact candidates’ academic performance and overall wellbeing. This conceptual narrative reflection on the field offers a novel contribution by reframing doctoral wellbeing as fundamentally relational and translating that lens into actionable recommendations at systemic, community, and individual levels. We synthesize evidence of the multifaceted and interdependent pressures experienced by doctoral students, including academic demands, student-supervisor relationships, financial insecurity, and cultural transitions. We also identify significant barriers to seeking help, the role of stigma, and systemic challenges within academic institutions that exacerbate mental health challenges for marginalized groups. Importantly, we demonstrate how these dynamics operate within institutional and policy environments that are characterized by complex funding models, inequity in access to campus counselling and healthcare, and the variable experiences of marginalized students. We emphasize the importance of supportive networks, intersectional identity considerations, and institutional structures in the experiences of doctoral students, illustrating how our own collaborative writing process enacted the very relational practices for which we advocate. Building on this relational understanding, we provide actionable recommendations to foster a more inclusive, supportive, and mentally healthy academic environment.