A large proportion of PGRs suffer from stress or burnout at some stage in their programme of study and consider dropping out before completion¹. Social support, especially from peers and supervisors, is a key mechanism for coping with the stress of post-graduate studies. As a supervisor, it is therefore important that you have an awareness of typical mental health challenges and how to recognise them as well as knowing how to signpost your students to support when needed. In this section, we have pulled together a number of resources to help you reflect on how you can support the wellbeing of your students.

E-learning module: Supporting Postgraduate Mental Health for Supervisors

The Institute for Integrative Biology and the Liverpool Doctoral College have developed this online training module on PGR student wellbeing as part of the Research England/OfS funded project "Studying towards a happy and healthy PhD". We encourage all supervisors to complete this e-learning module.

Supporting Postgraduate Mental Health e-learning

Resources to help you further reflect on your own supervisory practice

Listen to the ADPS Podcast episode on Researcher Wellbeing where Denise Chilton and Angela Midgley discuss how coaching can support researchers to maximise their potential and what we mean when we talk about researcher wellbeing.

Listen to the Research Culture Uncovered Podcast episodeon Countering Isolation and loneliness in doctoral research through writing groups.

Watch this video [link] where Dr. Gina Wisker discusses wellbeing issues for both students and supervisors (6 minutes)

Read relevant research and scholarship on PGR wellbeing and supervisory practice: scholarship on PGR wellbeing

Access further support for you or your PGR. In this document you will find listed the mental health and wellbeing support available for supervisors and PGRs with links to relevant departments and resources

¹Schmidt & Hansson (2018) Doctoral students' well-being: a literature review. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being, 13(1), 1508171, doi: 10.1080/17482631.2018.1508171