SynthesisPloS one2022
The impact of working in academia on researchers' mental health and well-being: A systematic review and qualitative meta-synthesis.
Synthesis in PloS one, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 41 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
41 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Prevalence and severity of mental health problems in early-career researchers: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Nature human behaviour · 2026Pooled it
- Effectiveness and Feasibility of Workplace-Based Mental Health Interventions for University Academic Staff: A Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Pooled it
- Mental health interventions affecting university faculty: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC public health · 2024Pooled it
- Dental Educators' Stress and Wellbeing in the Workplace-An International Perspective.European journal of dental education : official journal of the Association for Dental Education in Europe · 2026Article
- From SilverStar to shining stars: Physiology's next generation.Experimental physiology · 2026Article
- The Feasibility of an App-Based Worksite Health Promotion Program to Improve Mental Well-Being and Work-Related Vitality in University Hospital Workers: Process and Preliminary Effect Evaluation Study.JMIR formative research · 2026Article
- Lost in a Sea of Information: The Microplastics Publication Deluge.Environmental science & technology · 2026Review
- Researchers' Mental Health and Quality of Life: A Protocol for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Health science reports · 2026Article
- Factors associated with the mental health of early-career dementia researchers: An international cross-sectional survey.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2026Article
- Mediating role of self-efficacy in the association between multidimensional resource support and postdoctoral job satisfaction.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Mentorship as a secure base: an attachment and mentalizing perspective on academic development.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Psychological distress among early career university teachers: an ecological perspective.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Data from the Researcher Mental Health Observatory STAIRCASE Survey.Journal of open psychology data · 2026Article
- ASPIS Academy: A blueprint for building early-career researcher networks to advance NAM-based risk assessment.NAM journal · 2026Article
- Support systems impacting the mental health of diverse women in biomedical science programs: An ecological approach.SSM. Mental health · 2025Article
- Insecurity and psychological well-being among faculty in academia: exploring the constraints and conduits of positive psychological functioning.International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being · 2025Article
- Older people care increases the gender gap in academia.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Applying the mentor mindset to undergraduate and graduate student teaching assistant professional development in a laboratory course.Journal of microbiology & biology education · 2025Article
- Burnout syndrome in Spanish university lecturers: prevalence and relationship with lifestyle habits and physical and mental health indicators.BMC psychology · 2025Article
- Understanding and supporting the mental health and professional quality of life of academic mental health researchers: results from a cross-sectional survey.BMC public health · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo understand how researchers experience working in academia and the effects these experiences have on their mental health and well-being, through synthesizing published qualitative data.
methodA systematic review and qualitative meta-synthesis was conducted to gain a comprehensive overview of what is currently known about academic researchers' mental health and well-being. Relevant papers were identified through searching electronic databases, Google Scholar, and citation tracking. The quality of the included studies was assessed and the data was synthesised using reflexive thematic analysis.
results26 papers were identified and included in this review. Academic researchers' experiences were captured under seven key themes. Job insecurity coupled with the high expectations set by the academic system left researchers at risk of poor mental health and well-being. Access to peer support networks, opportunities for career progression, and mentorship can help mitigate the stress associated with the academic job role, however, under-represented groups in academia are at risk of unequal access to resources, support, and opportunities.
conclusionTo improve researchers' well-being at work, scientific/academic practice and the system's concept of what a successful researcher should look like, needs to change. Further high-quality qualitative research is needed to better understand how systemic change, including tackling inequality and introducing better support systems, can be brought about more immediately and effectively. Further research is also needed to better understand the experiences and support needs of post-doctoral and more senior researchers, as there is a paucity of literature in this area.
trial registrationThe review protocol was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42021232480).
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.