The Psychological and Professional Well-Being of Doctoral Students: Insights from Two Cohorts of a Major Italian University

Although the doctoral path provides a unique opportunity for learning and professional growth, recent research has highlighted a significant prevalence of psychological problems among doctoral students. For this reason, it is crucial to shed light on this issue, understand the factors involved in PhD students' well-being, and inform potential solutions to address the dysfunctional aspects of doctoral programs. This scholarly work presents findings from a comprehensive investigation conducted between 2020 and 2021 among doctoral students from a large Italian University. Based on the Job Demands-Resources Model, we present two studies aimed at identifying the resources and work-related factors associated with psychological and professional well-being outcomes for doctoral students, including anxiety, depression, burnout, and satisfaction with the doctoral program. Study 1 adopted a quantitative approach and involved 243 PhD students surveyed in 2020. Study 2, conducted in 2021 and involving 264 PhD students , further expanded the previous study's findings with a revised quantitative approach, complementing it with a qualitative inquiry. Their results indicate that doctoral students -being outcomes are connected to a combination of structural factors within the doctoral program and relational and psychological aspects. Among the factors examined, the supervisor-student relationship emerged as a significant determinant of many well-being outcomes. Based on these results, the chapter discusses their implications. Awareness-raising and support interventions are suggested to address the challenges experienced by doctoral students and enhance their psychological and professional well-being (e.g., information meetings, awareness campaigns, and help desks), while adopting a collaborative approach, ongoing evaluation, and feedback loops.