112
Views
0
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Research Article

‘Is it me or … ?’. A multimethod study to explore the impact of personal and contextual factors on PhD students’ well-being

ORCID Icon, ORCID Icon, ORCID Icon, ORCID Icon, ORCID Icon, ORCID Icon & ORCID Icon show all
Received 06 Jun 2023, Accepted 02 May 2024, Published online: 15 May 2024

References

  • Agasisti, T., and M. Soncin. 2020. “Higher Education in Troubled Times: On the Impact of Covid-19 in Italy.” Studies in Higher Education 46 (1): 86–95. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2020.1859689.
  • Alisic, A., and B. S. Wiese. 2020. “Keeping an Insecure Career Under Control: The Longitudinal Interplay of Career Insecurity, Self-Management, and Self-Efficacy.” Journal of Vocational Behavior 120: 103431. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2020.103431
  • Anguera, M. T., Á. Blanco-Villaseñor, J. L. Losada, P. Sánchez-Algarra, and A. J. Onwuegbuzie. 2018. “Revisiting the Difference Between Mixed Methods and Multimethods: Is It All in the Name?” Quality & Quantity 52 (6): 2757–2770. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-018-0700-2.
  • Bakker, A. B., and E. Demerouti. 2017. “Job Demands–Resources Theory: Taking Stock and Looking Forward.” Journal of Occupational Health Psychology 22 (3): 273–285. https://doi.org/10.1037/ocp0000056.
  • Bandura, A. 1997. Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Control. New York: W H Freeman/Times Books/Henry Holt & Co.
  • Beasy, K., S. Emery, and J. Crawford. 2019. “Drowning in the Shallows: An Australian Study of the PhD Experience of Wellbeing.” Teaching in Higher Education 26 (4): 602–618. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2019.1669014.
  • Beehr, T. A., N. A. Bowling, and M. M. Bennett. 2010. “Occupational Stress and Failures of Social Support: When Helping Hurts.” Journal of Occupational Health Psychology 15 (1): 45–59. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0018234.
  • Braun, V., V. Clarke, E. Boulton, L. Davey, and C. McEvoy. 2021. “The Online Survey as a Qualitative Research Tool.” International Journal of Social Research Methodology 24 (6): 641–654. https://doi.org/10.1080/13645579.2020.1805550.
  • Bravata, D. M., S. Watts, A. L. Keefer, D. K. Madhusudhan, K. T. Taylor, D. M. Clark, and H. K. Hagg. 2020. “Prevalence, Predictors, and Treatment of Impostor Syndrome: A Systematic Review.” Journal of General Internal Medicine 35 (4): 1252–1275. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-019-05364-1.
  • Byrom, N. L., M. Dinu, A. Kirkman, and G. Hughes. 2020. “Predicting Stress and Mental Well-Being among Doctoral Researchers.” Journal of Mental Health 31 (6): 783–791. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638237.2020.1818196.
  • Cain, M. K., Z. Zhang, and C. S. Bergeman. 2017. “Time and Other Considerations in Mediation Design.” Educational and Psychological Measurement 78 (6): 952–972. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013164417743003.
  • Chen, I., and M. R. Fellenz. 2020. “Personal Resources and Personal Demands for Work Engagement: Evidence from Employees in the Service Industry.” International Journal of Hospitality Management 90 (September): 102600. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2020.102600.
  • Clance, P. R. 1985. Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale (CIPS) [Database Record]. APA PsycTests. https://doi.org/10.1037/t11274-000
  • Clance, P. R., and S. A. Imes. 1978. “The Imposter Phenomenon in High Achieving Women: Dynamics and Therapeutic Intervention.” Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice 15 (3): 241–247. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0086006.
  • Cornér, S., E. Löfström, and K. Pyhältö. 2017. “The Relationships Between Doctoral Students’ Perceptions of Supervision and Burnout.” International Journal of Doctoral Studies 12: 091–106. https://doi.org/10.28945/3754.
  • Cornwall, J., E. C. Mayland, J. van der Meer, R. A. Spronken-Smith, C. Tustin, and P. Blyth. 2019. “Stressors in Early-Stage Doctoral Students.” Studies in Continuing Education 41 (3): 363–380. https://doi.org/10.1080/0158037X.2018.1534821
  • Crawford, W. S., K. K. Shanine, M. V. Whitman, and K. M. Kacmar. 2016. “Examining the Impostor Phenomenon and Work-Family Conflict.” Journal of Managerial Psychology 31 (2): 375–390. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMP-12-2013-0409.
  • Devine, K., and K. H. Hunter. 2016. “Doctoral Students’ Emotional Exhaustion and Intentions to Leave Academia.” International Journal of Doctoral Studies 11: 035–061. https://doi.org/10.28945/3396.
  • Eigege, C. Y., and P. P. Kennedy. 2020. “Disruptions, Distractions, and Discoveries: Doctoral Students’ Reflections on a Pandemic.” Qualitative Social Work 20 (1–2): 618–624. https://doi.org/10.1177/1473325020973341.
  • Evans, T. M., L. Bira, J. B. Gastelum, L. T. Weiss, and N. L. Vanderford. 2018. “Evidence for a Mental Health Crisis in Graduate Education.” Nature Biotechnology 36 (3): 282–284. https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt.4089.
  • Falk, L. L., H. Augustin, K. Torén, and M. Magnusson. 2019. “Doctoral Students’ Perceived Working Environment, Obstacles and Opportunities at a Swedish Medical Faculty: A Qualitative Study.” BMC Medical Education 19 (1): 250–265. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-019-1684-x.
  • Frith, H. 2000. “Focusing on sex: Using Focus Groups in Sex Research.” Sexualities 3 (3): 275–297. https://doi.org/10.1177/136346000003003001.
  • Frydman, J. S., L. Cheung, and J. G. Ponterotto. 2019. “The ‘Journey’ of Doctoral Study in Applied Psychology: Lived Experiences of Students in Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology Programs.” Qualitative Report 24: 1181–1210. https://nsuworks.nova.edu/tqr/vol24/iss6/1.
  • Haider, Z., and R. Dasti. 2022. “Mentoring, Research Self-Efficacy, Work–Life Balance and Psychological Well-Being of Doctoral Program Students.” International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education 11 (2): 170–182. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMCE-07-2020-0036.
  • Hair, J. F., B. J. Babin, R. E. Anderson, and W. C. Black. 2019. Multivariate Data Analysis. Andover: Cengage Learning.
  • Halbesleben, J. R. B., J. P. Neveu, S. C. Paustian-Underdahl, and M. Westman. 2014. “Getting to the “COR": Understanding the Role of Resources in Conservation of Resources Theory.” Journal of Management 40 (5): 1334–1364. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206314527130.
  • Hayes, A. F. 2018. Introduction to Mediation, Moderation, and Conditional Process Analysis: A Regression-Based Approach. New York: Guilford Publications.
  • Hazell, C. M., L. Chapman, S. Valeix, P. A. Roberts, J. E. Niven, and C. Berry. 2020. “Understanding the Mental Health of Doctoral Researchers: A Mixed Methods Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis and Meta-Synthesis.” Systematic Reviews 9 (1), https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-020-01443-1.
  • Hobfoll, S. E., J. Halbesleben, J. P. Neveu, and M. Westman. 2018. “Conservation of Resources in the Organizational Context: The Reality of Resources and Their Consequences.” Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior 5 (1): 103–128. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-032117-104640.
  • Holmgreen, L., V. Tirone, J. Gerhart, and S. E. Hobfoll. 2017. “Conservation of Resources Theory: Resource Caravans and Passageways in Health Contexts.” In The Handbook of Stress and Health: A Guide to Research and Practice, edited by C. L. Cooper, and J. Campbell Quick, 443–457. Hoboken: Wiley.
  • Huerta, M., P. Goodson, M. Beigi, and D. Chlup. 2017. “Graduate Students as Academic Writers: Writing Anxiety, Self-Efficacy and Emotional Intelligence.” Higher Education Research & Development 36 (4): 716–729. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2016.1238881.
  • Jackman, P. C., L. Jacobs, R. M. Hawkins, and K. Sisson. 2022. “Mental Health and Psychological Well-Being in the Early Stages of Doctoral Study: A Systematic Review.” European Journal of Higher Education 12 (3): 293–313. https://doi.org/10.1080/21568235.2021.1939752.
  • Jackman, P. C., R. Sanderson, J. Allen-Collinson, and L. Jacobs. 2022. “‘There’s Only so Much an Individual Can Do’: An Ecological Systems Perspective on Mental Health and Well-Being in the Early Stages of Doctoral Research.” Journal of Further and Higher Education 46 (7): 931–946. https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2021.2023732.
  • Jackman, P. C., R. A. Sanderson, T. Haughey, C. Brett, N. R. White, A. Zile, K. Tyrrell, and N. Byrom. 2022. “The Impact of the First COVID-19 Lockdown in the UK for Doctoral and Early Career Researchers.” Higher Education 84 (4): 705–722. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-021-00795-4.
  • Jackman, P. C., and K. Sisson. 2022. “Promoting Psychological Well-Being in Doctoral Students: A Qualitative Study Adopting a Positive Psychology Perspective.” Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education 13 (1): 19–35. https://doi.org/10.1108/SGPE-11-2020-0073.
  • Jackman, P. C., M. J. Slater, E. E. Carter, K. Sisson, and M. K. Bird. 2022. “Social Support, Social Identification, Mental Well-Being, and Psychological Distress in Doctoral Students: A Person-Centred Analysis.” Journal of Further and Higher Education 47 (1): 45–58. https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2022.2088272.
  • Janssen, S., M. Van Vuuren, and M. Junger. 2021. “Sensemaking in Supervisor-Doctoral Student Relationships: Revealing Schemas on the Fulfillment of Basic Psychological Needs.” Studies in Higher Education 46 (12): 2738–2750. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2020.1804850.
  • Jolly, P. M., D. T. Kong, and K. Y. Kim. 2020. “Social Support at Work: An Integrative Review.” Journal of Organizational Behavior 42 (2): 229–251. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.2485.
  • Khuram, W., Y. Wang, S. Khan, and A. Khalid. 2021. “Academic Attitude and Subjective Norms Effects on International Doctoral Students’ Academic Performance Self-Perceptions: A Moderated-Mediation Analysis of the Influences of Knowledge- Seeking Intentions and Supervisor Support.” Journal of Psychology in Africa 31 (2): 145–152. https://doi.org/10.1080/14330237.2021.1903188.
  • Kulikowski, K., S. Przytuła, and Ł. Sułkowski. 2021. “E-learning? Never Again! On the Unintended Consequences of COVID-19 Forced E-learning on Academic Teacher Motivational Job Characteristics.” Higher Education Quarterly 76 (1): 174–189. https://doi.org/10.1111/hequ.12314.
  • Lambie, G. W., and N. Vaccaro. 2011. “Doctoral Counselor Education Students’ Levels of Research Self-Efficacy, Perceptions of the Research Training Environment, and Interest in Research.” Counselor Education and Supervision 50 (4): 243–258. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1556-6978.2011.tb00122.x.
  • Lau, R. W. K., and L. Pretorius. 2019. “Intrapersonal Well-Being and the Academic Mental Health Crisis.” In Well-Being in Doctoral Education: Insights and Guidance from the Student Experience, edited by L. Pretorius, 37–45. Berlin: Springer.
  • Levecque, K., F. Anseel, B. A. De, H. J. Van, and L. Gisle. 2017. “Work Organisation and Mental Health Problems in PhD Students.” Research Policy 46 (4): 868–879. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2017.02.008.
  • Major, C. H., and J. P. Dolly. 2004. “The Importance of Graduate Program Experiences to Faculty Self-Efficacy for Academic Tasks.” The Journal of Faculty Development 19 (2): 89–100. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ720287.
  • Makhamreh, M. A., and D. Stockley. 2019. “Mentorship and Well-Being.” International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education 9 (1): 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMCE-02-2019-0013.
  • Maslach, C., and M. P. Leiter. 2016. “Understanding the Burnout Experience: Recent Research and its Implications for Psychiatry.” World Psychiatry 15 (2): 103–111. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20311.
  • Maslach, C., W. B. Schaufeli, and M. P. Leiter. 2001. “Job Burnout.” Annual Review of Psychology 52 (1): 397–422. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.52.1.397.
  • McHugh, M. L. 2012. “Interrater Reliability: The Kappa Statistic.” Biochemia Medica, 276–282. https://doi.org/10.11613/BM.2012.031.
  • Nori, H., and M. Vanttaja. 2022. “Too Stupid for PhD? Doctoral Impostor Syndrome among Finnish PhD Students.” Higher Education 86: 675–691. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-022-00921-w.
  • Overall, N. C., K. L. Deane, and E. R. Peterson. 2011. “Promoting Doctoral Students’ Research Self-Efficacy: Combining Academic Guidance with Autonomy Support.” Higher Education Research & Development 30 (6): 791–805. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2010.535508.
  • Paucsik, M., C. Leys, G. Marais, C. Baeyens, and R. Shankland. 2022. “Self-Compassion and Savouring Buffer the Impact of the First Year of the COVID-19 on PhD Students’ Mental Health.” Stress and Health 38 (5): 891–901. https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.3142.
  • Paula, J. R. 2020. “Lockdowns Due to COVID-19 Threaten PhD Students’ and Early-Career Researchers’ Careers.” Nature Ecology & Evolution 4 (8): 999. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-020-1231-5.
  • Pervez, A., L. M. Brady, K. Mullane, K. B. Lo, A. F. Bennett, and T. Nelson. 2021. “An Empirical Investigation of Mental Illness, Impostor Syndrome, and Social Support in Management Doctoral Programs.” Journal of Management Education 45 (1): 126–158. https://doi.org/10.1177/1052562920953195.
  • Podsakoff, P. M., S. B. MacKenzie, J. Y. Lee, and N. P. Podsakoff. 2003. “Common Method Biases in Behavioral Research: A Critical Review of the Literature and Recommended Remedies.” Journal of Applied Psychology 88 (5): 879–903. https://psycnet.apa.org/buy/2003-08045-010.
  • Posselt, J. 2018. “Normalizing Struggle: Dimensions of Faculty Support for Doctoral Students and Implications for Persistence and Well-Being.” The Journal of Higher Education 89 (6): 988–1013. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221546.2018.1449080.
  • Prendergast, A., R. Usher, and E. Hunt. 2023. “‘A Constant Juggling Act’—The Daily Life Experiences and Well-Being of Doctoral Students.” Education Sciences 13 (9): 916. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13090916.
  • Pyhältö, K., L. Tikkanen, and H. Anttila. 2023. “Is There a Fit Between PhD Candidates’ and Their Supervisors’ Perceptions on the Impact of COVID-19 on Doctoral Education?” Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education 14 (2): 134–150. https://doi.org/10.1108/SGPE-05-2022-0035.
  • Reja, U., K. L. Manfreda, V. Hlebec, and V. Vehovar. 2003. “Open-Ended vs. Close-Ended Questions in Web Questionnaires.” Developments in Applied Statistics 19 (1): 159–177. https://begrijpelijkeformulieren.org/sites/begrijpelijkeformulieren/files/Reja_e.a._Open-ended_vs._Close-ended_Questions_in_Web.pdf.
  • Satinsky, E. N., T. Kimura, M. V. Kiang, R. Abebe, S. Cunningham, H. Lee, and A. C. Tsai. 2021. “Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Depression, Anxiety, and Suicidal Ideation among Ph.D. Students.” Scientific Reports 11 (1): 14370. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-93687-7.
  • Schmidt, M., and E. Hansson. 2018. “Doctoral Students’ Well-Being: A Literature Review.” International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-Being 13 (1): 1508171. https://doi.org/10.1080/17482631.2018.1508171.
  • Schneider, B., V. González-Romá, C. Ostroff, and M. West. 2017. “Organizational Climate and Culture: Reflections on the History of the Constructs in the Journal of Applied Psychology.” Journal of Applied Psychology 102 (3): 468–482. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000090.
  • Schreier, M. 2012. Qualitative Content Analysis in Practice. Los Angeles: Sage Publisher.
  • Schwarzer, R., and S. Hallum. 2008. “Perceived Teacher Self-Efficacy as a Predictor of Job Stress and Burnout: Mediation Analyses.” Applied Psychology 57 (s1): 152–171. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1464-0597.2008.00359.x.
  • Schwinger, M., and J. Stiensmeier-Pelster. 2011. “Performance-Approach and Performance-Avoidance Classroom Goals and the Adoption of Personal Achievement Goals.” British Journal of Educational Psychology 81 (4): 680–699. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8279.2010.02012.x.
  • Shoji, K., R. Cieslak, E. Smoktunowicz, A. Rogala, C. C. Benight, and A. Luszczynska. 2016. “Associations Between job Burnout and Self-Efficacy: A Meta-Analysis.” Anxiety, Stress, & Coping 29 (4): 367–386. https://doi.org/10.1080/10615806.2015.1058369.
  • Sibilia, L., R. Schwarzer, and M. Jerusalem. 1995. Italian adaptation of the general self-efficacy scale: Self-efficacy generalized. http://userpage.fu-berlin.de/health/italian.htm.
  • Sirigatti, S., C. Stefanile, and E. Menoni. 1988. “Per un adattamento italiano del Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) [Italian Adaptation of the Maslach Burnout Inventory].” Bollettino di Psicologia Applicata 188: 33–39.
  • Skaalvik, C. 2020. “Self-Efficacy for Instructional Leadership: Relations with Perceived Job Demands and job Resources, Emotional Exhaustion, Job Satisfaction, and Motivation to Quit.” Social Psychology of Education 23 (5): 1343–1366. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-020-09585-9.
  • Spector, P. E. 2019. “Do Not Cross Me: Optimizing the Use of Cross-Sectional Designs.” Journal of Business and Psychology 34 (2): 125–137. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-018-09613-8.
  • Stubb, J., K. Pyhältö, and K. Lonka. 2011. “Balancing Between Inspiration and Exhaustion: PhD Students’ Experienced Socio-Psychological Well-Being.” Studies in Continuing Education 33 (1): 33–50. https://doi.org/10.1080/0158037X.2010.515572.
  • Suddeath, E., E. Baltrinic, and S. Dugger. 2020. “The Impact of Teaching Preparation Practices on Self-Efficacy Toward Teaching.” Counselor Education and Supervision 59 (1): 59–73. https://doi.org/10.1002/ceas.12166.
  • Sverdlik, A., N. C. Hall, and L. McAlpine. 2020. “PhD Imposter Syndrome: Exploring Antecedents, Consequences, and Implications for Doctoral Well-Being.” International Journal of Doctoral Studies 15: 737–758. https://doi.org/10.28945/4670.
  • Sverdlik, A., N. C. Hall, L. McAlpine, and K. Hubbard. 2018. “The PhD Experience: A Review of the Factors Influencing Doctoral Students’ Completion, Achievement, and Well-Being.” International Journal of Doctoral Studies 13: 361–388. https://doi.org/10.28945/4113.
  • Tommasi, F., F. Toscano, D. Giusino, A. Ceschi, R. Sartori, and J. L. Degen. 2022. “Meaningful or Meaningless? Organizational Conditions Influencing Doctoral Students’ Mental Health and Achievement.” International Journal of Doctoral Studies 17: 301–321. https://doi.org/10.28945/5011.
  • Tontodimamma, A., E. del Gobbo, M. Corbo, and A. Aquino. 2023. “How to Improve Academic Well-Being: An Analysis of the Leveraging Factors Based on the Italian Case.” Quality & Quantity, 1425–1445. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-023-01700-0.
  • Vergauwe, J., B. Wille, M. Feys, F. De Fruyt, and F. Anseel. 2015. “Fear of Being Exposed: The Trait-Relatedness of the Impostor Phenomenon and its Relevance in the Work Context.” Journal of Business and Psychology 30 (3): 565–581. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-014-9382-5.
  • Virtanen, V., J. Taina, and K. Pyhältö. 2017. “What Disengages Doctoral Students in the Biological and Environmental Sciences from Their Doctoral Studies?” Studies in Continuing Education 39 (1): 71–86. https://doi.org/10.1080/0158037X.2016.1250737.
  • Waight, E., and A. Giordano. 2018. “Doctoral Students’ Access to Non-Academic Support for Mental Health.” Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management 40 (4): 390–412. https://doi.org/10.1080/1360080X.2018.1478613.
  • Walsh, B. M., and D. Kabat-Farr. 2022. “Investigating the Implications of Changes in Supervisor and Organizational Support.” Journal of Occupational Health Psychology 27 (6): 585–598. https://doi.org/10.1037/ocp0000339.
  • Wollast, R., C. Aelenei, J. Chevalère, N. Van Der Linden, B. Galand, A. Elia Azzi, M. Frenay, and O. Klein. 2023. “Facing the Dropout Crisis among PhD Candidates: The Role of Supervisor Support in Emotional Well-Being and Intended Doctoral Persistence among Men and Women.” Studies in Higher Education 48 (6): 813–828. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2023.2172151.
  • World Medical Association. 2013. “World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki: Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects.” JAMA 310 (20): 2191–2194. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2013.281053.
  • Yun, M., and T. A. Beehr. 2023. “Too Much of a Good Thing? Curvilinear Effect of Instrumental Social Support on Task Performance via Work Engagement.” Applied Psychology 72 (2): 674–696. https://doi.org/10.1111/apps.12395.

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.