Palabras clave
Mental health
Risk factors
Protective factors Estudiantes de doctorado
Salud mental
Factores de riesgo
Factores de protección
Cómo citar
Resumen
Background: The mental health of doctoral students is a matter of concern, and several variables appear to be associated with the state of their mental health. However, there have been no studies on the population of doctoral students in Spain to date using validated instruments. Method: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted to assess mental health in 1,018 doctoral students. The impact of personal, academic, psychological, and social/organisational variables on their mental health was assessed. Results: Between 50% and 60% of the sample might be experiencing a common psychological disorder, while 18.8% of the sample might be experiencing passive suicidal ideation. In addition, using binary logistic regression, significant predictors of negative mental health were identified, including: sociodemographic variables (being female); academic variables (longer time spent in a doctoral programme); psychological variables (lower life satisfaction; greater interference and less clarity about negative emotions); and social and organisational variables (greater fear of losing tuition rights, lower social support, and greater interference of academic work with personal life). Conclusions: Doctoral students need measures to remedy and prevent mental health issues based on improving self-care and emotion regulation, promoting social support at university, and reducing the pressure of losing tuition rights among final-year students.
Citas
Aldao, A., Nolen-Hoeksema, S., & Schweizer, S. (2010). Emotion- regulation strategies across psychopathology: A meta-analytic review. Clinical Psychology Review, 30(2), 217-237. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. cpr.2009.11.004
Auerbach, R. P., Mortier, P., Bruffaerts, R., Alonso, J., Benjet, C., Cuijpers, P., Demyttenaere, K., Ebert, D. D., Green, J. G., Hasking, P., Murray, E., Nock, M. K., Pinder-Amaker, S., Sampson, N. A., Stein, D. J., Vilagut, G., Zaslavsky, A. M., Kessler, R. C., & WHO WMH-ICS Collaborators (2018). WHO world mental health surveys international college student project: Prevalence and distribution of mental disorders. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 127(7), 623-638. https://doi.org/10.1037/abn0000362
Barkham, M., Broglia, E., Dufour, G., Fudge, M., Knowles, L., Percy, A., Turner, A., & Williams, C. (2019). Towards an evidence base for student wellbeing and mental health: Definitions, developmental transitions and data sets. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 19(4), 351-357. https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12227
Barnett, P., Saunders, R., Buckman, J. E. J., Cardoso, A., Cirkovic, M., Leibowitz, J., Main, N., Naqvi, S. A., Singh, S., Stott, J., Varsani, L., Wheatly, J., & Pilling, S. (2022). Are students less likely to respond to routinely delivered psychological treatment? A retrospective cohort analysis. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 119, Article 152348. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2022.152348
Beck, A. T., Steer, R. A. & Brown, G. K. (1996). Beck Depression Inventory (2nd. ed.). The Psychological Corporation.
Blanch, A., & Aluja, A. (2009). Validation study of the Spanish version of the Work-Family Conflict Questionnaire (CCTF). The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 12(2), 746-755. https://doi.org/10.1017/ s1138741600002110
Cano-Vindel, A., Muñoz-Navarro, R., Medrano, L. A., Ruiz-Rodríguez, P., González-Blanch, C., Gómez-Castillo, M. D., Capafons, A., Chacón, F., Santolaya, F., & PsicAP Research Group. (2018). A computerized version of the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 as an ultra-brief screening tool to detect emotional disorders in primary care. Journal of Affective Disorders, 234, 247-255. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2018.01.030
Dericks, G., Thompson, E., Roberts, M., & Phua, F. (2019). Determinants of PhD student satisfaction: The roles of supervisor, department, and peer qualities. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 44(7), 1053-1068. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2019.1570484
Devine, K., & Hunter, K. H. (2017). PhD student emotional exhaustion: The role of supportive supervision and self-presentation behaviours. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 54(4), 335-344. https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2016.1174143
Diener E., Emmons R., Larsen R. J., & Griffin S. (1985). The Satisfaction with Life Scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49, 71–75. https:// dx.doi.org/10.1207/ s15327752jpa4901_13
Doval, E., Viladrich, C., & Angulo-Brunet, A. (2023). Coefficient alpha: The resistance of a classic. Psicothema, 35(1), 5-20. https://doi. org/10.7334/psicothema2022.321
Estupiñá, F. J., Santalla, Á., Prieto, M., Sanz, A., & Larroy, C. (2023, April 13). Mental health in doctoral students. Retrieved from osf.io/9jsez Gnambs, T., & Staufenbiel, T. (2018). The structure of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12): Two meta-analytic factor analyses. Health Psychology Review, 12(2), 179-194. https://doi.org/10.1080/17437199.2018.1426484
Gabilondo, A., Rojas-Farreras, S., Vilagut, G., Haro, J. M., Fernandez, A., Pinto-Meza, A., & Alonso, J. (2010). Epidemiology of major depressive episode in a southern European country: results from the ESEMeD- Spain project. Journal of Affecttive Disorders, 120(1-3), 76-85. https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2009.04.016
Goldberg, D., & Williams, P. (1988). General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). NFER-Nelson.
González-Betancor, S. M. & Dorta-González, P. (2020). Risk of interruption of doctoral studies and mental health in PhD students. Mathematics, 8(10). https://doi.org/10.3390/math8101695
Gratz, K. L. & Roemer, L. (2004). Multidimensional assessment of emotion regulation and dysregulation: Development, factor structure, and initial validation of the difficulties in emotion regulation scale. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 26, 41-54. https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JOBA.0000007455.08539.94
Gross, J. (1999). Emotion and emotion regulation. In L. A. Pervin & O. P. John (Ed.), Handbook of personality: Theory and research (2nd ed., pp. 525-552). Guilford.
Haslam, D., Filus, A., Morawska, A. et al. (2015). The Work–Family Conflict Scale (WAFCS): Development and initial validation of a self-report measure of work–family conflict for use with parents. Child Psychiatry & Human Development, 46, 346–357. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-014-0476-0
Hart, M. J., Sung, J. Y., McQuillin, S. D., & Schleider, J. L. (2022). Expanding the reach of psychosocial services for youth: Untapped potential of mentor delivered single session interventions. Journal of Community Psychology, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.22927
Hazell, C. M., Chapman, L., Valeix, S. F., Roberts, P., Niven, J. E., & Berry, C. (2020). Understanding the mental health of doctoral researchers: A mixed methods systematic review with meta-analysis and meta- synthesis. Systematic Reviews, 9(1), 1-30. https://doi.org/10.1186/ s13643-020-01443-1
Henares Montiel, J., Ruiz-Pérez, I., & Sordo, L. (2020). Salud mental en España y diferencias por sexo y por comunidades autónomas [Mental health in Spain and differences by sex and by autonomous communities]. Gaceta Sanitaria, 34(2), 114-119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gaceta.2019.03.002
Hill, N. T. M., Bailey, E., Benson, R., Cully, G., Kirtley, O. J., Purcell, R., Rice, S., Robinson, J., & Walton, C. C. (2022). Researching the researchers: psychological distress and psychosocial stressors according to career stage in mental health researchers. BMC Psychology, 10(1), Article 19. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-022-00728-5
Holtom, B., Baruch, Y., Aguinis, H., & Ballinger, G. (2022). Survey response rates: Trends and a validity assessment framework. Human Relations, 75, 1560-1584. https://doi.org/10.1177/00187267211070769 Hunter, K. H., & Devine, K. (2016). Doctoral students’ emotional exhaustion and intentions to leave academia. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 11, 35-61. http://dx.doi.org/10.28945/3396
Instituto Nacional de Estadística [Statistics National Institute] (2008) Encuesta Nacional de Salud en Espana 2006 [National Health Survey in Spain 2006]. Available at: https://www.sanidad.gob.es/estadEstudios/ estadisticas/encuestaNacional/encuesta2006.htm
Kazdin, A. E. (2021). Extending the scalability and reach of psychosocial interventions In M. Barkham, W. Lutz, & L. G. Castonguay (Eds.), Bergin and Garfield’s Handbook of Psychotherapy and Behavior Change. Wiley.
Kroenke, K., Spitzer, R. L., Williams, J. B., & Lowe, B. (2009). An ultra-brief screening scale for anxiety and depression: The PHQ- 4. Psychosomatics, 50, 613-621. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0033-3182(09)70864-3
Levecque, K., Anseel, F., de Beuckelaer, A., van der Heyden, J., & Gisle,
L. (2017). Work organization and mental health problems in PhD students. Research Policy, 46(4), 868-879. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. respol.2017.02.008
Ministerio de Sanidad, Consumo y Bienestar Social [Spanish Ministry of Health, Consumer Affairs, and Social Welfare]. (2013). Encuesta nacional de salud en España 2011-2012. [National Health Survey in Spain 2011-2012]. Available at: https://www.mscbs.gob.es/ estadEstudios/estadisticas/encuestaNacional/encuesta2011.htm
Ministerio de Sanidad, Consumo y Bienestar Social [Spanish Ministry of Health, Consumer Affairs, and Social Welfare]. (2018). Encuesta nacional de salud en España 2017. [National Health Survey in Spain 2017]. Available at: https://www.sanidad.gob.es/estadEstudios/ estadisticas/encuestaNacional/encuesta2017.htm
Ministerio de Universidades [Ministry of Universities] (2022). Datos y cifras del sistema universitario español. [Facts and figures of the Spanish university system]. Available at: https://cpage.mpr.gob.es/ producto/datos-y-cifras-del-sistema-universitario-espanol-9/
Navarro Carrascal, O., Alveiro, D., Rommel, D., Ghalaret,JM., & Fleury- Bahi, G. (2021). Validación de una versión breve de la Escala de Dificultades en la Regulación Emocional con población Hispanohablante (DERS-S SF) [Validation of a brief version of the Difficulties in Emotional Regulation Scale with a Spanish-speaking population (DERS-S SF)]. CES Psicología, 14(2), 71-88. https://doi.org/10.21615/CESP.5360
New Zealand Government (2019, May, 30). The wellbeing budget. Available at: Treasury.govt.nz/publications/wellbeing-budget/ wellbeing-budget-2019
Office for Students (2019, June, 5). Innovation, partnership and data can help improve student mental health in new £14m drive. Available at: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/news-blog-and-events/press-and- media/innovation-partnership-and-data-can-help-improve-student- mental-health-in-new-14m-drive/
Parrado-González, A., & León-Jariego, J. (2020). COVID-19: Factores asociados al malestar emocional y morbilidad psíquica en población española [COVID-19: Factors associated with emotional distress and psychic morbidity in the Spanish population]. Revista Española de Salud Pública, 94(8), 1-16. http://hdl.handle.net/10272/18350
Podsakoff, N. P., LePine J. A., LePine MA. (2007). Differential challenge stressor-hindrance stressor relationships with job attitudes, turnover intentions, turnover, and withdrawal behavior: A meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92(2), 438-454. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.92.2.438
Preece, D. A., Mehta, A., Petrova, K., Sikka, P., Bjureberg, J., Becerra, R., & Gross, J. J. (2023). Alexithymia and emotion regulation. Journal of Affective Disorders, 324, 232–238. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. jad.2022.12.065
Ranganathan, P., Pramesh, C. S., & Aggarwal, R. (2017). Common pitfalls in statistical analysis: Logistic regression. Perspectives in Clinical Research, 8(3), 148-151. https://doi.org/10.4103/picr.PICR_87_17
Sánchez-López, M.P. y Dresch, V. (2008). The 12-Item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ12): Reliability, external validity and factor structure in the Spanish population. Psicothema, 20, 839-843. https:// doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.92.2.438
Sanz, J., Perdigón, L. A., & Vázquez, C. (2003). Adaptación española del Inventario para la Depresión de Beck-II (BDI-II): 2. Propiedades psicométricas en población general [Spanish adaptation of the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II): 2. Psychometric properties in the general population]. Clínica y Salud, 14, 249-280.
Satinsky, E. N., Kimura, T., Kiang, M. V., Abebe, R., Cunningham, S., Lee, H., Lin, X., Liu, C. H., Rudan, I., Sen, S., Tomlinson, M., Yaver, M., & Tsai, A. C. (2021). Systematic review and meta-analysis of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation among Ph.D. students. Scientific Reports, 11(1), Article 14370. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-93687-7
Selby, E. A., & Joiner, T. E., Jr (2009). Cascades of emotion: The emergence of borderline personality disorder from emotional and behavioral dysregulation. Review of General Psychology13(3), 219-229. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0015687
Sorrel, M. A., Martínez-Huertas, J. A. & Arconada, M. (2020). It must have been burnout: Prevalence and related factors among Spanish PhD students. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 23, 1-13. https://doi. org/10.1017/SJP.2020.31
Stubb, J., Pyhalto, K., & Lonka, K. (2011). Balancing between inspiration and exhaustion: PhD students’ experienced socio-psychological well-being. Studies in Continuing Education, 33, 33-50. https://doi.org/10.10 80/0158037X.2010.515572
Stubb, J., Pyhalto, K., & Lonka, K. (2012). The experienced meaning of working with a PhD thesis. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 56, 439-456. https://doi.org/10.1080/00313831.2011.599422 Thompson, R. (1994). Emotion regulation: A theme in search of a definition. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 59, 25-52.
Vázquez, C., Duque, A., & Hervás, C. (2013). Satisfaction with life scale in a representative sample of Spanish adults: Validation and normative data. Spanish Journal of Psychology, 16(82), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1017/sjp.2013.82
Van Rooij, E., Fokkens-Bruinsma, M., & Jansen, E. (2021). Factors that influence PhD candidates’ success: The importance of PhD project characteristics. Studies in Continuing Education, 43(1), 48-67. https:// doi.org/10.1080/0158037X.2019.1652158