Under Pressure: Mental Health and the Academic Life

Almost two thirds of Canadian academics experience mental health issues during their career. What is behind this? Kate speaks with Kim Hellemans, a professor at Carleton University, to explore the multiple pressures faced by today’s academic - including the often complex student-supervisor relationship.

What duty of pastoral care do faculty have for their students? Are some academics bearing more of the burden of student support than others? And what should faculty do to safeguard their wellbeing against the many strains of the academic life?

Cited in this episode:

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1052562920958433

https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/the-art-of-self-improvement/202311/why-are-academics-so-burnt-out

https://universityaffairs.ca/career-advice/career-advice-article/how-to-navigate-the-cruelty-of-supervisory-care/

Recommended reading on mental health and academia:

Acknowledging the emotional labour of academic work — University Affairs

Should university instructors disclose mental health conditions? It’s complicated — University Affairs

How to navigate the ‘cruelty of supervisory care’ — University Affairs

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