#PhDlife: The effect of stress and sources of support on perceptions of balance among public administration doctoral students

ABSTRACT

Emerging studies indicate a dangerous trend regarding high levels of stress, depression, and burnout among graduate students across all disciplines. This study focuses on public administration doctoral students specifically and probes this issue further by asking how stress and sources of social and institutional support affect students’ perceptions of stress and balance in their lives. To address this, we surveyed students about their experiences navigating and managing stress in their respective doctoral programs and found that four sources of support were critical in decreasing students’ stress and perceptions of conflict between their academic and non-academic lives. Our results help to understand the complex experiences of public administration doctoral students and offer insight into how sources of support can help mitigate stress and improve the lives of students. We conclude with recommendations for how doctoral programs can encourage and provide these critical supports and begin to institutionalize student well-being.

KEYWORDS:

• Work-life balance
• support
• stress
• doctoral students
• institutionalization of well-being

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kayla Schwoerer

Kayla Schwoerer is a Doctoral Candidate at the School of Public Affairs and Administration at Rutgers University-Newark. Her research focuses on public sector transparency, the impact of new and emerging technologies on equitable citizen-state interactions, and behavioral public administration. She is also passionate about graduate student support and success.

Meril Antony

Meril Antony is a Doctoral Candidate at the School of Public Affairs and Administration at Rutgers University-Newark. Her research focuses on co-production theory, the problem of co-production barriers or facilitators in a schooling context, and its social equity implications. Her research seeks to provide greater interlinkage between education as a public service to public management frameworks.

Kareem Willis

Kareem Willis is a Doctoral Candidate at the School of Public Affairs and Administration at Rutgers University-Newark. Through his research, Kareem explores the underlying social equity and social justice issues and concerns (broadly defined) within Public Administration, Public Management, and nonprofit Management, Leadership and Philanthropy.