PhD studies hurt mental health, but less than previously feared

Matti Keloharju, Samuli Knüpfer, Dagmar Müller and Joacim Tåg

Research Policy, 2024, vol. 53, issue 8

Abstract: We study the mental health of PhD students in Sweden using comprehensive administrative data on prescriptions, specialist care visits, hospitalizations, and causes of death. We find that about 7 % (5 %) of PhD students receive medication or diagnosis for depression (anxiety) in a given year. These prevalence rates are less than one-third of the earlier reported survey-based estimates, and even after adjusting for difference in methodology, 43 % (72 %) of the rates in the literature. Nevertheless, PhD students still fare worse than their peers not pursuing graduate studies. Our difference-in-differences research design attributes all of this health disadvantage to the time in the PhD program. This deterioration suggests doctoral studies causally affect mental health.

Keywords: PhD studies; Mental health; Depression; Anxiety; Suicide (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I10 I23 M54 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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Working Paper: PhD Studies Hurt Mental Health, But Less than Previously Feared (2024)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:respol:v:53:y:2024:i:8:s0048733324001276

DOI: 10.1016/j.respol.2024.105078

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