We all work as doctoral students in Germany in many different fields and with very different backgrounds, but time and again it becomes clear that many problems affect us all equally. One of the biggest and most frequently underestimated issues is mental health. This problem area is not only a concern for doctoral student representatives, but is also increasingly being investigated in research itself, as several articles in Nature impressively demonstrate. In the comments sections of reports on the academic work context, there are also numerous references to deep psychological stress, structural overload, and even traumatic experiences that doctoral students have in the scientific system. This is particularly evident in investigations conducted in spring 2025 into working conditions at Max Planck Institutes in Saxony, which were reported on in detail by both Deutsche Welle and Der Spiegel and which show how urgently structural changes are needed [1].
Mental health is not an individual problem
Psychological stress is frequently described, which we are often very familiar with from local doctoral student representatives and our own research. It is particularly alarming that structural factors such as job insecurity, high performance requirements, and a lack of a supervisory culture are cited as key causes. We see this as a clear mandate for universities and politicians to take responsibility and finally initiate sustainable improvements. In an article published in April 2025 [2], Fred Schwaller clearly demonstrated how important low-threshold support services and a culture of open communication are for doctoral students. For us, this underscores once again that mental health is not an individual problem, but a systemic issue that must finally be taken seriously.
Good research conditions are no „Nice-to-have“!
A detailed study by Bergvall et al. from December 2025 provides, in our view, important empirical evidence for what doctoral students have been reporting for years. It is particularly valuable in that it shows in a differentiated way how strongly supervision, working environment, and social integration influence mental health [3]. For the Federal Association, this confirms that good doctoral conditions are not a “nice-to-have” but a basic prerequisite for scientific quality. The results make it clear that prevention and structural improvements are significantly more effective than purely individual coping strategies. At the same time, the study shows that international and marginalized doctoral students are exposed to particular risks, which requires targeted measures. We see this as a clear mandate to recognize the doctoral phase as a vulnerable phase of life and to establish binding protection and support structures.
Sometimes a break with a hot coffee is enough
The project was presented to us at our annual general meeting with a new approach that makes it clear that support during the doctoral phase does not always require professional therapy. Often, simply talking to people who understand the pressure you are under and the stresses that come with a doctorate can help. And who understands this stress better than other people from the scientific community who are going through or have gone through similar experiences? This is not about psychological analysis, but about spending time together over tea or coffee, creating space for exchange, relief, and mutual understanding. This low-threshold approach complements the findings from the studies and reports described above, which show how widespread mental stress is in everyday doctoral life. At the same time, it makes it clear that, in addition to structural changes, we also need forms of mutual support based on solidarity in order to strengthen the mental health of doctoral candidates in the long term. What do you think of such an offer to exchange ideas with other trained researchers? What are your experiences with talking to colleagues about stress and other psychological burdens?
1 Machtmissbrauch an Max-Planck-Instituten – Esther Felden und Lewis Sanders (März 2025)
2 A mental-health crisis plagues PhDs – Fred Schwaller (April 2025)
3 The impact of PhD studies on mental health – Sanna Bergvall et al. (December 2025)
