ArticlePloS one2024
Psychosocial work stressors and mental health in Ph.D. students in Germany-Evidence from two cross-sectional samples.
Article in PloS one, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Prevalence and severity of mental health problems in early-career researchers: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Nature human behaviour · 2026Pooled it
- Determinants of an academic career and barriers to research among young otolaryngologists in Europe.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2026Article
- Mental Health Among Spanish Doctoral Students: Relationship Between Anxiety, Depression, Life Satisfaction, and Mentoring.European journal of investigation in health, psychology and education · 2025Article
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3 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundPh.D. students have been shown to report a lower mental health status compared to the general population. However, not much is known about the impact of psychosocial work stressors that could contribute to their increased risks of mental health symptoms. This study aims firstly to assess levels of psychosocial stressors, perceived stress, and mental health symptoms in Ph.D. students. Second, it investigates which psychosocial stressors are most strongly associated with mental health symptoms and perceived stress.
methodsOne self-reported questionnaire was distributed among Ph.D. students at one university in Germany, in summer 2023 (T1) and winter 2023/2024 (T2). Psychosocial stressors were assessed with the short version of the effort-reward imbalance (ERI) questionnaire and with the 16-item DYNAMIK questionnaire. Mental health symptoms were assessed with the 12-item-version of the general health questionnaire (GHQ-12). Perceived stress levels were assessed with the 10-item perceived stress scale (PSS). Within a cross-sectional study design, multiple linear regression analyses were performed in two study samples (n = 267 at T1; n = 244 at T2).
resultsPh.D. students reported an imbalance between effort and reward in both study samples (T1: M = 1.34, SD = 0.45; T2: M = 1.27, SD = 0.52). Effort-reward-ratio, boundary permeability, and leader support were associated with mental health symptoms and perceived stress in both study samples, when controlled for age and gender. For example, effort-reward-ratio showed a meaningful impact on mental health symptoms for the study sample at T2 (B = 3.85; p < .05, adj. R2 = 0.288). DISCUSSION: Both study samples showed high prevalence of mental health symptoms and effort-reward imbalance also in comparison to other research findings. An imbalance between effort and reward, boundary permeability and leader support show the most strongly associations with mental health symptoms and perceived stress. Future longitudinal studies could help to support our findings in terms of a causal stressor-strain association. Universities should focus on mental health of Ph.D. students and direct their support towards promoting student-supervisor relationships and clear guidelines for Ph.D. students' working hours.
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