A blueprint for measuring and improving graduate student mental health.

OBJECTIVE

We provide a step-by-step guide for developing, administering, evaluating, and acting on a survey-based study of graduate student mental health. : Blueprint focuses on forging student-faculty collaboration and is based on Harvard University's Graduate Student Mental Health Initiative (GSMHI). The survey tool we use includes validated screening instruments for depression, anxiety, imposter phenomenon, self-esteem, alcohol consumption, exercise and sleep habits, and loneliness. It also includes environmental questions that collect epidemiologic data, as well as ratings of advising relationships and student dynamics. : After 6 years, GSMHI has analyzed data from 30 different PhD programs and 4,866 students, overseen the implementation of more than 60 departmental action plans, and performed 9 follow-up surveys to assess progress. It has achieved high response rates (60-90%), discovered wide variation in mental health and environmental factors across departments, and supported experiments with interventions. : We hope this blueprint helps other universities run similar initiatives.

UNLABELLED

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2022.2057804 .