2025: Empowering the Future through Education, Diversity, and Hope
Graduate Student Mental Health: Exploring Program-Level Barriers and Supports
Location
Hemmingson Ballroom
Start Date
15-4-2025 12:40 PM
End Date
15-4-2025 1:40 PM
Description
Graduate students consistently report high levels of psychological distress, to the extent that some researchers have described the mental health status of this population as a crisis (Bekkouche et al., 2021; Charles et al., 2021). Numerous organizational and systemic factors within graduate programs—such as financial strain, inadequate mentorship, and experiences of institutional discrimination—have been identified as contributors to this distress (Charles et al., 2021). Leaders of graduate programs have both an ethical and practical responsibility to critically examine these systemic barriers and foster environments that support student well-being. This presentation reviews the current literature on factors that promote and hinder graduate student mental health, with an emphasis on actionable strategies programs can implement to create more equitable and supportive academic environments.
Recommended Citation
McDermott, Molly and Bynum, Ridge, "Graduate Student Mental Health: Exploring Program-Level Barriers and Supports" (2025). Diversity & Social Justice in Education Conference. 40.
https://repository.gonzaga.edu/dsjconf/2025/general/40
Publication Date
2025
Graduate Student Mental Health: Exploring Program-Level Barriers and Supports
Hemmingson Ballroom
Graduate students consistently report high levels of psychological distress, to the extent that some researchers have described the mental health status of this population as a crisis (Bekkouche et al., 2021; Charles et al., 2021). Numerous organizational and systemic factors within graduate programs—such as financial strain, inadequate mentorship, and experiences of institutional discrimination—have been identified as contributors to this distress (Charles et al., 2021). Leaders of graduate programs have both an ethical and practical responsibility to critically examine these systemic barriers and foster environments that support student well-being. This presentation reviews the current literature on factors that promote and hinder graduate student mental health, with an emphasis on actionable strategies programs can implement to create more equitable and supportive academic environments.
Comments
Poster Session B