Lighting dark: Fixing academia's mental health problem

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
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Academia is starting to acknowledge the depression and anxiety that some faculty members, students and postdocs experience – and help is there

As an academic, Sarah Boon was extremely successful. She landed a tenured position a mere six years after completing her PhD. A stack of publications in high-end journals led to an influx of funding offers, speaker invitations and collaborations. But as her career skyrocketed, so did her mood swings, crippling exhaustion and disinterest in everything she normally enjoyed. When she was finally diagnosed with depression, anxiety and a mood disorder, part of her was relieved.

Boon isn't the only researcher to have been affected by mental illness. A number of recently published personal accounts in blogs and the national press tell the story of a harsh and competitive work environment that can prove a catalyst for anxiety and depression. But institutions are waking up to the issue, and support is set to increase under new changes to the Affordable Care Act.

Anecdotally, mental health issues are common among academics, but evidence to support this claim is sparse. Only a handful of studies have sought to examine the levels of stress and their subsequent mental health consequences among academics, and most have focused on faculty. What we do know is that, in the US, about 20 per cent of the adult population experiences some kind of mental illness in a given year.

An Australian study found that the rate of mental illness in academic staff was three to four times higher than in the general population, while the percentage among academics in the United Kingdom has been estimated to be as high as 53 per cent. In the US, though, there have been no peer-reviewed studies on the prevalence of mental health issues in academics, at any level. "It is next to nothing," explains Mahadeo Sukhai, vice chair of the board of the National Postdoctoral Association. "There is a lot of work that needs to be done."

For academics worried about their mental health, the first step toward addressing it is admitting that you're struggling. Seek out help, especially if you have struggled in the past, says Dan Jones, chief psychologist and director of the Counseling and Psychological Services Center, Appalachian State University, in Boone, North Carolina. "It's good to have a mental health professional you can check in with," says Jones. "You might not realize, if you are functioning well, that you are acting abnormally or have obsessive or compulsive behavior." The good news is that support systems are available for academics who need them.

Jones says his university's health plan, like many, covers a lot of mental health services. "The most common insurance among our faculty is the state's insurance plan, which allows you 26 mental health professional consultations a year. That's quite generous, and if the therapist writes a petition on your behalf, they can increase that as well."

For those universities without such cover, mental health treatment can be prolonged and expensive, but the high cost is one of the areas President Obama is focusing on in the Affordable Care Act [ACA]. As of this year, the ACA has expanded healthcare insurance coverage for all full-time employees. This should enable academics to get the long-term treatment they may need without having to worry about the out-of-pocket expense.

But even institutions with less substantial insurance plans have some resources available. Sheryl Benton, an associate professor and director of the counseling Service at the University of Florida in Gainesville, says that most universities have an Employee Assistance Program [EAP] or a Faculty and Staff Assistance Program [FSAP]. "Both usually offer an initial consultation, then may refer you to a counselor or psychiatrist," she says. While they aren't designed for long-term support, many schools' FSAPs provide quick, free and confidential counseling and support to those in need.

Most EAPs and FSAPs will help faculty find a therapist or psychiatrist whose fees will be covered at least in part by a faculty or staff health plan. "I am approached by members of staff or their family members quite frequently," says Benton. "I know a number of clinicians I would readily refer somebody to, and recommend people to specific ones."

Some colleges, like the University of Florida, even have an online database for finding the most appropriate mental health professional in your area. The Mental Health America website also allows users to search for affordable mental health services in communities throughout the country, and if the situation is dire, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline's crisis hotline [1.800.273.TALK] is always free and operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

While these resources are performing a vital role, Sukhai stresses that institutions need to better accommodate the mental health needs of graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and faculty. And more research is needed to determine exactly what resources work best for academics.

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