PhD Studies Hurt Mental Health, but Less Than Previously Feared

Abstract

We study the mental health of PhD students in Sweden using comprehensive administrative data on prescriptions, specialist care visits, hospitalizations, and causes of death. We find that about 7% (5%) of PhD students receive medication or diagnosis for depression (anxiety) in a given year. These prevalence rates are less than one-third of the earlier reported survey-based estimates, and even after adjusting for difference in methodology, 43% (72%) of the rates in the literature. Nevertheless, PhD students still fare worse than their peers not pursuing graduate studies. Our difference-in-differences research design attributes all of this health disadvantage to the time in the PhD program. This deterioration suggests doctoral studies causally affect mental health.

Note:
Funding Information: This work was supported by the Academy of Finland (Grant 319316 to M.K.) and Marianne and Marcus Wallenberg foundation (Grant 2020.0049 to J.T.).

Conflict of Interests: None.

Ethical Approval: The project was approved by the Regional Ethical Review Board of Stockholm, Statistics Sweden, and the National Board of Health and Welfare.

Keywords: doctoral studies; mental health; depression; anxiety; suicide