Abstract
An introduction to the book, including exploring PhD mental health, the author’s own journey, and how to use the guide.
(Trigger Warnings: suicidal ideation, depression)
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Notes
- 1.
Thankfully this has really started to change over recent years, with more and more being published on PhD/graduate mental health and several universities realising the need to provide tailored support.
- 2.
Note: This book is not designed to discourage you from you endeavours. Far from it. Its purpose is to better prepare you for the personal challenges you may face navigating your PhD journey. As academics, we believe that with knowledge comes power: the same applies for PhD mental health. If you are aware of the challenges you may face and you are provided with coping strategies you can be better prepared and more likely to succeed.
- 3.
However, throughout, I aim to avoid “toxic positivity” which happens all too often, suggesting that everything about the PhD experience is fantastic, that we should be grateful for simply having a position, and nothing needs to be improved at an institutional level.
- 4.
I am also mid-journey in seeking an Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) diagnosis, which I believe has underpinned a large portion of my mental health journey (a story for another day).
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Ayres, Z.J. (2022). Introduction. In: Managing your Mental Health during your PhD. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-14194-2_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-14194-2_1
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