Study Reveals Graduate Students Prone to Depression

While graduate students contribute to the cutting-edge research of the university, the pressure of constant work and isolation from the rest of the campus community can sink them into depression and mental stress, according to a report released Wednesday.

The report, which surveyed more than 3,000 graduate students, found that nearly 10 percent of respondents had seriously considered committing suicide in the past year. Eighteen students surveyed actually attempted suicide.

The reality of the suicide attempts is troubling when considering how many suicides could have actually occurred, said graduate student Temina Madon, who spearheaded the study.

The study, conducted by a graduate student task force on mental health, also revealed nearly half of students surveyed suffered from mental stresses severe enough to significantly affect their academic performance.

"Almost half of all graduate students are not able to reach their optimum level," Madon said. "We think its powerful justification for the campus to take it seriously."

Madon said the high level of suicide attempts and depression among graduate students stems from isolated work environments and incompatible relationships with faculty advisors, which are often the only contact a graduate student has while on campus.

A bad relationship with a faculty advisor could seriously damage a student's mental state, Madon said.

"There's no training for professors for management skills," Madon said. "It's relatively difficult if you're having a bad relationship (with your advisor)."

The survey also revealed that less than a third of students used counseling services on campus and less than 2 percent of students would first contact a professional when seeking help, which some said was a surprisingly low number.

To raise students' awareness of the university's services, University Health Services created an advisory group that would address issues specific to graduate students, said Jeffrey Prince, director of counseling and psychological services.

They will also host group meetings where students suffering from depression can share experiences and support one another starting in the spring, he said.

Campus administrators will also create a campuswide committee that will look into boosting GSI and faculty training to spot students in need of psychological help.

"We need to extend the efforts for the undergraduates to the graduate students. As a community we need to be more aware that depression is part of our daily lives," said Heino Nitsche, chair of the Academic Senate's committee on student affairs.

Budget cuts also stand as an obstacle, making it harder for the university to provide services such as these and expand them into individual departments, Nitsche said.

A subset of the graduate student population that misses out on health services is international students, according to the report.

The study revealed that these students are less aware of services available on campus and less inclined to take advantage of these services than their American counterparts.

"International students have a lot more difficulties too when they join the university and they are not familiar with the healthcare offered in the United States," Madon said. "They are navigating a host of new situations."

Ultimately, Madon said the mental well-being of graduate students affects the entire campus.

"We do a lot of things that bring prestige to the university," Madon said. "If we (members of the community) are not getting optimal academic performance from graduate students, then the campus is losing out on a lot."

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