Berlin PhDs flag mental health impact of publication pressure

Doctorates call for ‘critical review’ of fast-and-loose approach to building citation record

The pressure to publish and garner scientific citations must be eased to ensure early career scientists can focus on producing their best work, according to an open letter by PhD students in the Berlin University Alliance (BUA).

The letter reveals that during their doctorate studies, PhD students are under enormous pressure to publish, which leads to stress and is detrimental to mental health. In a survey by the BUA, 63 per cent of respondents said that working on their dissertation had had a negative impact on their mental wellbeing.