Overworked and isolated - work pressure fuels mental illness in academia

Claire Shaw        

Guardian Professional, Thursday 8 May 2014

Academics suffering mental health problems blame their university work directly for their illness, exclusive findings from a Guardian survey reveal.
Heavy workloads, lack of support and isolation are the key factors contributing to mental illness, according to respondents, who range from PhD students to vice-chancellors.
The Guardian survey, which specifically targeted academics suffering mental health problems, found that two-thirds of more than 2,500 who responded see their illness as a direct result of their university job.
Senior lecturers and those aged between 55-64 years feel most strongly about this connection.
Over half of academics, from the UK and overseas, say a heavy workload is having an impact on their mental health. A lack of support is also a key issue affecting 44% of respondents, which is felt across all ages from 25-64 years.
Just under half of respondents say they feel isolated, and others raise concerns around a "bullying culture", job insecurity and a culture of long working hours. A pressure to publish is felt by more than a third of 25-34 year olds.

Read more....