GrACe | Graduate Centre
Contact
Carla Sauvigny-Wigge
Graduate Centre
+49 (0)521 106-67537
graduatecentre@uni-bielefeld.de
Notes
We are offering this info session as part of the first European Doc Day, which celebrates doctoral graduates and doctoral education.
The event will take place online. It is free of charge, but registration is required.
European Doctoral Day at Bielefeld University
Mental Health, Recognition, and Sustainable Doctoral Pathways
Lecturer: Zita Deptolla (GrACe/Mental Health Management)
Content
This session presents findings from the nationwide German dataset “Bielefeld Questionnaire on Study and Working Conditions and Mental Health.” Empirical evidence indicates that students and doctoral researchers represent a particularly burdened group, facing high levels of performance and time pressure as well as intensified expectations of productivity.
While strengthening individual coping strategies is important, the presentation situates well-being within institutional and structural contexts at universities. It examines how study and working conditions shape doctoral experiences – both as sources of strain and as potential resources. Particular attention is given to experiences of recognition and appreciation within academic environments, which emerge as relevant dimensions for mental health and professional development.
Understanding the doctorate as a formative stage in academic careers, the session seeks to open a broader interdisciplinary dialogue. Building on the empirical insights, participants are invited to discuss how doctoral skills and research work are valued within and beyond academia, to exchange experiences from different European countries, and to reflect collectively on how academic environments can foster both recognition and sustainable, mentally healthy doctoral pathways.