Rethinking Doctoral Wellbeing: A Relational Approach to the Mental Health Crisis in Academia

<p dir="ltr">The mental health crisis among doctoral students has reached a critical level, with high rates of anxiety, depression, and burnout that severely impact their academic performance and overall wellbeing. This paper offers a novel perspective by reframing doctoral wellbeing as fundamentally relational, examining how mental health is influenced by interconnected factors. Furthermore, we demonstrate how, through the co-writing project itself, the relational aspect of wellbeing is lived and realised. The paper examines the multifaceted and interdependent pressures experienced by doctoral students, encompassing academic demands, student-supervisor relationships, financial insecurity, and cultural transitions. Importantly, this conceptual narrative review emphasises the importance of supportive networks, intersectional identity considerations, and institutional structures in the experiences of doctoral students. The review also identifies significant barriers to seeking help, the role of stigma, and systemic challenges within academic institutions that exacerbate mental health challenges for marginalised groups. Building on this relational understanding, the authors provide actionable recommendations to foster a more inclusive, supportive, and mentally healthy academic environment. These recommendations include providing increased access to specialised mental health services, promoting mental health literacy, prioritising work-life balance, and prescribing equitable financial support, laying a foundation for sustainable change in doctoral education.</p>