Nicholls, Helen; (2024) "We need to take care of our researchers": a qualitative exploration of the occupational mental health experiences and support needs of UK academic researchers. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

Recent findings suggest that researchers can find academia highly stressful. This stressful working environment can cause researchers to leave academia, potentially reducing the progress and advances possible. To enhance researchers’ mental health and well-being at work, and therefore attract and retain a “talented” UK academic workforce, there is a need to further explore researchers’ experiences and support needs. My qualitative PhD project aimed to do this by 1) systematically exploring relevant qualitative literature across the globe; 2) interviewing researchers working within UK universities about their experiences and support needs, and 3) interviewing members of senior management within UK universities and UK research funding organizations about their views on academic policy and culture. My findings suggest that whilst working in academia can be intellectually stimulating and flexible, factors such as a sense of inequality, excessive workloads, job precarity, and the pressure to regularly secure grant funding can negatively impact researchers’ mental health and well-being. To secure a long-term positive change in UK academic researchers’ mental health, it is these systemic issues that need to be addressed. To address such complex issues will require a collaborative and system wide effort, and it is therefore important to understand the needs and goals of all those who make up the hierarchical UK higher education system, so that a consensus can be reached on the way forward. Managers and supervisors are influential in determining how supportive a researchers’ local work environment can be, and training managers on how to better recognise the health needs of researchers could be effective. However, alternative forms of support (from other trained individuals/changes to the broader context) also need to be considered alongside this. For the UK to maintain its influential position on the international stage of research and innovation, UK academic researchers need to be better supported at work.

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