Resilience and Well-Being

Recent studies nationwide show that mental health concerns, especially depression and anxiety, are significantly higher in graduate students than in their peers who are not in graduate school. In one study, graduate students were six times more likely to experience depression and anxiety than the general population.

These studies show that some of the major factors affecting graduate student mental health are financial concerns, poor work-life balance, negative interactions with their mentor, uncertain job prospects, and isolation and lack of social support.

How to be a supportive mentor

• Open the door for your students to share their concerns. As the more powerful person in the mentor-mentee relationship, you can play a critical role in destigmatizing mental health issues. UMass students report that they feel reassured if they believe that faculty understand the prevalence of mental health issues in academia and that they will be sympathetic.
• Listen. Your non-judgmental and active attention and listening are incredibly valuable in supporting students. Set aside time. Choose a private setting. Give your full attention. For more information on active listening skills see the Effective Listening page from Workplace Learning & Development at UMass Amherst.
• Do not assume that the only students who need help are those who ask for it. If a student is falling behind in their work, resist jumping to the conclusion that this shows a lack of commitment.
• Recognize that you are not a counselor and that there are many professional resources on campus to help your mentee. Your role is to direct students to the appropriate help, not to provide help that you are not trained to give. The Center for Counseling and Psychological Health is available for consultation about how to help students, and the about available services. Visit the CCPH page for more information. Students can also reach out to the Psychological Services Center, which offers longer-term treatment options at a low fee.
• You can be particularly helpful in making concrete suggestions about how a student prioritizes their work during a difficult time. Helping your student to break large tasks into smaller ones can help them overcome feelings of being overwhelmed.
• Engage students in reflective conversations about self-management including strategies for resilience, sustained effort, and identifying signs that restoration and self-care strategies are needed.
• Model good work-life balance and mental health self-care. Often, academics have a tendency to emphasize their long work bouts, pre-deadline late nights, etc. It's valuable to let your mentee know that you are taking a break, going for a run, spending time with your family, meditating, etc. Seek guidance from your own mentors if you are feeling overwhelmed.
• Stress and anxiety can manifest in unexpected ways – sometimes, it’s not about what you think it’s about. For example, anxiety about the uncertainty of future events (funding, finding a job, visa status, etc.) can stall productivity as students avoid moving into this stage of unknowns. Have conversations with your student about their futures. When students feel more confident about their future, they are more motivated to get there.

A common problem: the impostor syndrome

Students may experience impostor syndrome—the feeling that they are frauds that do not deserve their success and will soon be found out. Signs of impostor syndrome can be anxiety, self-doubt, unwillingness to speak up in meetings or classes, or comments about how they were "just lucky" to be admitted or that they are far less prepared than their peers. People suffering from the impostor syndrome may have trouble in taking credit for their accomplishments. Some strategies to help your student include:

• Acknowledging the commonness of impostor syndrome among academics (perhaps even in yourself) and naming it. At Graduate Orientation sessions, students seem relieved when the majority of other students put up their hands to acknowledge that they have experienced impostor syndrome.
• Assure your student of the meaningfulness of their accomplishments, based on your experience and perspective. If you've established a relationship of trust with your student by giving them honest feedback, both positive and negative, it will be easier to help your student overcome unwarranted self-doubts.

Your responsibilities under Title IX at UMass Amherst

It may be that a student discloses to you that they are the victim of sexual harassment or sexual violence. We have both ethical and legal obligations to help our students and to take the training offered by the University.

Department chairs, GPDs, deans, and others are considered responsible employees for Title IX issues. If you hold one of these roles, you must report incidents of sexual harassment, sexual violence, dating violence, domestic violence, and other sexual misconduct that your mentee discloses. It is best practice to inform your mentee of your status as a responsible employee before the student discloses information to you, and to provide information about options for confidential reporting and counseling.

Faculty that do not hold these roles are not mandated to file a report if a student discloses an incident, but are encouraged to do so, as described in the faculty collective bargaining agreement (Appendix H). Faculty are required to provide students with information about campus resources, such as their next steps for immediate care, to help them review their options for reporting, and to aid them in making a report if they choose to do so.

In addition, to repeat what we said about "Relationship Boundaries": faculty are prohibited from entering into a sexual relationship with any student or postdoc for whom the faculty member has any responsibility for supervision, evaluation, grading, advising, employment, or other instructional or supervisory activity. If you find that a relationship is evolving into something romantic, you must immediately disclose the relationship to your supervisor and take steps to remove yourself from any of the above roles.

Recommended practices at the program level

Foster a culture where out-of-office activities are encouraged. Many programs on campus routinely host picnics, holiday parties, hiking or canoe trips, and other joint ventures where both faculty and students can be together in a non-academic setting. Remember that alcohol is not allowed on campus unless a catering license is acquired.

Be sure that all personnel are up to date on their required Title IX trainings.

Additional resources

• Here is the link to the Title IX information, including training, at UMass.
• The Maroon Folder provides a well-organized, in-depth list of resources, and even includes words you can use when speaking to a person that you are concerned about.
• The Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER) provides a list of publications and other resources.