After completing a PhD, moving to a new institution and starting a new position in academia, these problems do not go away. Many of the mental health challenges faced in graduate school carry over into the behaviors and methods of future academics thus, the vicious cycle continues. In USA, much to the chagrin of neoliberal universities, there has been an increase of graduate students unionizing to improve their quality of life and to take some control over their working conditions. Moreover, there is no regulation of the number of hours students work, vacation time and how you are treated by your superiors. You are expected to teach courses and conduct lab work for which the university profits, but when it comes to matters regarding benefits, pay and other job-related support, you are treated like a student. Graduate students are placed in a tenuous position with the duality of being both a student and an employee. In 2018, there was a published study in Nature which found that 40% of the 2279 students surveyed around the world had anxiety and depression scores in the moderate to severe range. Anxiety and depression can affect anyone and graduate students are particularly vulnerable an article in C&EN News reported on the suicide of a graduate student and highlighted how easily mental health can decline while pursuing a PhD. However, I cannot deny that for a majority of graduate school I was depressed and struggled with mental health issues along with job related issues (e.g., switching advisors and sexual harassment). With all of this, it is no wonder that mental health is a serious issue in academia and it is imperative that we talk honestly about how it is affecting the scientific enterprise.ДЄs someone who has recently obtained their PhD, I can say with certainty that I had a great graduate education at a top school I was able to attend conferences, published a few papers and had access to excellent training and instrumentation that prepared me well for my current postdoctoral position.

Increasing competitiveness for grants and publications, the privatization of universities, a decline in tenured faculty positions, low pay and minimal benefits are just some of the stressors academics face. Even in the best departments, egos run unchecked and many are not held accountable for their actions on how they treat their students, colleagues and collaborators. I am certainly not the first person to make theВ вЂivory towerвЂ™ metaphor when describing the academic environment. Whether you are in the thick of graduate school or a tenured professor struggling to obtain the next grant, the truth is, academia operates in a culture of extreme competitiveness.

Ivory tower