As a psychologist whose training lies in both clinical and forensic areas, I feel a strong urge to write about mental health in academia, which, like gender equality, is arguably not a novel issue – a fair amount of people have heard of it. Yet, it still remains a critical issue, perhaps more so now than ever before. 

That’s what is happening, in my view, to the issues regarding mental health, especially within academia. A number of research studies have been done in order to enhance efforts to prevent and treat mental disorders within higher education. But then, it seems that everything still is in the same place.

Thankfully, throughout my academic degrees and professional practices, I’ve had always extremely supportive supervisors.

I don’t believe in luck, but being something I couldn’t control (like someone’s temper) I feel extremely lucky to have had the opportunity to work with supportive, motivating, and brilliant people until now.

It might be a biased perspective since professionals in this field focus mostly on successes. But, the main point is that there are areas where percentages may not be the most accurate way to observe if something is needed or not.

One can observe the stress levels that lecturers and even professors still have. Here I’m not talking about the people that enjoy stress in their lives, nor am I thinking about the types of stress that although it may disturb an individual’s well-being, helps them focus on their targets almost in the same way as when people work without noticing time passing by.

I also realise that the stigma of going to a therapist is even greater within academia. As a psychologist, it would be strange not to search for professional help within this field. I’ve had it before for professional reasons, and this time, in my first year of my PhD, I was having counselling for personal reasons and, of course, this was the right thing to do. Yet the stigma exists, unfortunately.

Universities have recently begun to implement programmes to promote well-being and address mental health issues within academia. It is a great way to disseminate these services that existed before, but which people didn’t know about or had social beliefs that were somehow erroneous.

It might be interesting to have a look at the services that universities have, which are normally free, and this is a very interesting point as therapy, although it can have different prices according to the type of the professional, is always a way to save money, even more if you are a student.

Here are some tips that I can share:

Talk with friends

Talk with your family. Talk with strangers if you feel more comfortable with that. But talk. Research has demonstrated that panic attacks and anxiety can be relieved when people talk about their feelings. Among other variables, talking and exploring your feelings will make you feel better.

Talk the way you feel more comfortable

Recently, I have been involved in the creation of a platform that offers psychological counselling exclusively for expats. The premise is not to isolate them from the context of where they are living. As for me, a fair number of academic expats work within a multicultural environment. However, sometimes people may feel less understood when they share their thoughts in a language that is not theirs.

Seek information

Don’t feel you are the only person in the world with a problem. It’s not the moment for being egocentric. There are a wide group of people that experience mental health issues, more so in academia. A recent study assessed the prevalence of mental health problems of 3,659 PhD students, where researchers found out that 51% experienced at least two symptoms of mental health conditions and 32% experienced at least four symptoms.

Fight the stigma and open yourself to that

Even if you have a background in psychology, you must still acknowledge that. I felt it myself. I was not expecting my first panic attack, but, when it happened, I realised it was time to start my therapy.

Talk with your research supervisor

Expect him to be empathetic with you. If for any reason this doesn’t happen, seek help somewhere else. This works also for staff in my opinion. Talk with colleagues or heads of departments. If there isn’t positive feedback, seek solutions elsewhere. Don’t get yourself in that downward spiral. People will sometimes not understand what is going on with you and they might start to distance themselves from you, thinking you are isolating yourself on purpose.

Try and stay active

‘Mens sana in corpore sano’ – a healthy mind in a healthy body. It’s always a great way to feel better with yourself and to boost your health. Also, eat well. It’s always a great mojo to keep into account.

Apart from these, just realise that the world is not ending tomorrow. That the research you are doing can be innovative but will not be the last research in the world. And even if the world ends or even if the research you are doing is the last bit of possible research on earth, would that be as enjoyable as it could if you felt better now?

Francisco Valente Gonçalves is a clinical and forensic psychologist working as an early career researcher within the INTREPID Forensics Programme.