Graduate students, especially those studying science and math, are more likely to experience mental health problems than the general population. Many students drop out of their programs because of stress, with some studies showing that up to half of graduate students are more stressed than usual. Advisors are often blamed for causing stress in students, especially in STEM fields where advisors are also employers, collaborators, and coauthors. This can make graduate students feel overwhelmed and contribute to them not finishing their programs.
To help graduate students manage stress, researchers are exploring the idea of stress regulation. This means helping students see difficult situations as a challenge rather than a threat, which can lower the levels of cortisol, a hormone associated with stress. Previous studies have shown that when people view stressful situations as a challenge, their performance improves. However, it’s not clear how this approach would work with graduate students and their relationships with advisors. This study aims to find out how stress regulation techniques can help graduate students interact better with their advisors by measuring cortisol levels. By understanding the impact of these techniques, researchers can help improve the mental health of graduate students.
We are currently hiring a graduate research assistant for this project. Click here to contact Dr. Artiles.
This project is in collaboration with the following institutions:
