Dear Reader,

8 million researchers are working on humanity’s most pressing problems, yet they often do so in highly competitive environments, where three-fourths of faculty positions have no job security, only 1 in 8 grant applications makes the cut, and scientific curiosity and career progression scarce find a middle ground. Unsurprisingly, academics are reported to be six times more likely to experience anxiety and depression than the general population.

What about you as a researcher? Does your work environment motivate you? How do you manage your work and personal life? Do you receive enough support from your supervisors? What would you want to see changed in your current environment?

Cactus Communications (a global scholarly communications company) is inviting researchers globally to participate in a large-scale survey that aims to shed light on joy and stress triggers and overall mental health in academia. The results of this survey are expected to push universities and research institutions worldwide to work towards addressing the problem of mental health in academia and creating a more positive research culture. Click here to take the survey.

You can read more about mental health and Indian academia in our ongoing column series, where we have been discussing the status of mental health awareness and research in the Indian context, and examining possible strategies and interventions to counter the issue. Here are some articles from this series:

• You don’t have to be​‘crazy’ to be doing a PhD! by Hina Lateef Nizami
  
• Wake up academia, it’s a brand new mental health patient by Debdutta Paul
• Sowing the seeds of a long-term mental health study in an Indian population by Shantala Hari Dass
• Speaking up: Ending the culture of silence by Zill e Anam
• Lessons from a mental health workshop in an undergraduate college by Charu D. Rawat & Sagnik Das
• Mental Health Fiesta at New Delhi by Hina Lateef Nizami

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