Drawing on 12 semi-structured interviews with Black, Latina, and white graduate women who either continued or discontinued their STEM doctoral degrees, the present study examined the psychological impact of navigating marginalizing experiences in white male-dominated STEM environments. Using thematic analysis grounded in a social constructivist paradigm, researchers identified three emergent themes: 1) institutional challenges as contextual barriers, 2) impact on wellbeing and STEM persistence, and 3) contextual supports and coping. These findings indicate that challenging STEM encounters within the higher education environment contributed to increased stress, depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation among graduate women in STEM from diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds. The compound effect of these STEM stressors and their subsequent psychological toll contributed to decreased STEM persistence among participants. Study implications highlight the need for faculty and university administrators to challenge and address institutional norms that operate as contextual barriers, destigmatize discussions surrounding mental health, and adopt a “whole person” approach to supporting graduate women in STEM.

本研究通过对继续或终止 STEM 博士学位的黑人、拉丁裔和白人研究生女性进行 12 次半结构化访谈，研究了在白人男性主导的 STEM 环境中导航边缘化经历的心理影响。使用基于社会建构主义范式的主题分析，研究人员确定了三个新兴主题：1）作为背景障碍的制度挑战，2）对福祉和 STEM 持久性的影响，以及 3）背景支持和应对。这些发现表明，在高等教育环境中遇到具有挑战性的 STEM 会导致来自不同种族/民族背景的 STEM 研究生女性的压力、抑郁、焦虑和自杀意念增加。这些 STEM 压力源的复合效应及其随后的心理损失导致参与者的 STEM 持久性降低。研究意义强调了教师和大学管理人员需要挑战和解决作为背景障碍运作的机构规范，消除围绕心理健康的讨论，并采用“全人”方法来支持 STEM 中的研究生女性。