Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/279007 
Year of Publication: 
2023
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 16309
Publisher: 
Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
We study the mental health of graduate students and faculty at 14 Economics departments in Europe. Using clinically validated surveys sent out in the fall of 2021, we find that 34.7% of graduate students experience moderate to severe symptoms of depression or anxiety and 17.3% report suicidal or self-harm ideation in a two-week period. Only 19.2% of students with significant symptoms are in treatment. 15.8% of faculty members experience moderate to severe depression or anxiety symptoms, with prevalence higher among non-tenure track (42.9%) and tenure track (31.4%) faculty than tenured (9.6%) faculty. We estimate that the COVID-19 pandemic accounts for about 74% of the higher prevalence of depression symptoms and 30% of the higher prevalence of anxiety symptoms in our European sample relative to a 2017 U.S. sample of economics graduate students. We also document issues in the work environment, including a high incidence of sexual harassment, and make recommendations for improvement.
Subjects: 
student mental health
faculty mental health
wellbeing
JEL: 
A23
I12
I18
I23
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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