ABSTRACT

Studies of Postgraduate Researchers (PGRs) have highlighted that the population may be at risk of developing symptoms of common mental health problems. Early intervention and preventative measures may reduce this risk, such as improving mental health literacy (MHL). However, it is unclear what the relationship is between MHL and outcomes such as help-seeking behaviour, psychological distress and wellbeing, in PGRs. Therefore, the current study aimed to explore this relationship. A secondary aim of this study was to compare data collected from PGRs with undergraduate students. Two hundred and forty-one PGRs from two universities in England completed an anonymous online quantitative survey, with PGRs reporting on their MHL, help-seeking behaviour, psychological distress, and wellbeing, in addition to demographic and academic characteristics. Results indicated that 70% of PGRs were experiencing symptoms categorised as mild to severe psychological distress. Stepwise multiple regressions revealed that lower levels of wellbeing predicted higher levels of distress and lower levels of help-seeking behaviour. Compared with undergraduate students, PGRs in this study reported higher levels of psychological distress compared to undergraduate students, after adjusting for age, sex, and previous diagnosis of a mental health problem, as well as MHL, after adjusting for sex and previous diagnosis (p < 0.05). No significant differences were observed between the groups for help-seeking behaviour, or wellbeing (all p > 0.05). Study findings suggest that PGRs, at the start of the academic year, are distressed and may not be seeking appropriate help for their concerns. Further studies should explore the environmental factors that may exacerbate mental health concerns beyond that associated with a challenging degree, within the PGR population.

摘要

研究生研究人员 (PGR) 的研究强调，人群可能面临出现常见心理健康问题症状的风险。早期干预和预防措施可能会降低这种风险，例如提高心理健康素养 (MHL)。然而，目前尚不清楚 MHL 与 PGR 中的求助行为、心理困扰和幸福感等结果之间的关系。因此，目前的研究旨在探索这种关系。本研究的第二个目的是比较从 PGRs 收集的数据与本科生。来自英格兰两所大学的 241 名 PGR 完成了一项匿名在线定量调查，PGR 报告了他们的 MHL、求助行为、心理困扰和幸福感，以及人口和学术特征。结果表明，70% 的 PGRs 出现了轻度至重度心理困扰的症状。逐步多元回归显示，较低水平的幸福感预示着较高水平的痛苦和较低水平的求助行为。与本科生相比，本研究中的 PGR 在调整了年龄、性别和先前对心理健康问题的诊断以及 MHL 后，在调整了性别和先前的诊断后，报告的心理困扰水平高于本科生。p  < 0.05)。在寻求帮助的行为或幸福感方面，两组之间没有观察到显着差异（所有p  > 0.05）。研究结果表明，PGR 在学年开始时很痛苦，可能没有为他们的担忧寻求适当的帮助。进一步的研究应该探索在 PGR 人群中可能加剧心理健康问题的环境因素，超出与具有挑战性的学位相关的因素。