We released two comprehensive survey reports:

Joy and Stress Triggers: A global survey on mental health among researchers

Our first survey report was released on October 10, 2020 i.e. World Mental Health Day. This report provides a quantitative overview of survey findings. It covers topics such as joy and stress triggers in researchers’ lives, their views on what a more nurturing research culture would look like, and the kind of support researchers need from institutions and decision-makers in academia. This report contains insights relevant to researchers, university officials, publishers, and funders.
How to Foster a Supportive Research Environment: A thematic analysis of open responses from the CACTUS Mental Health Survey 2020

We released our second survey report on January 15, 2021. This qualitative report explores the themes arising from responses to a critical open-ended question in the survey – “Do you have any suggestions for organizations within academia or other related stakeholders on what they can do to ensure a great work environment for researchers?” It offers insights on key changes researchers would like to see in research culture and the academic work environment.

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Keeping the conversation going

CACTUS webinar series on academic mental health and wellbeing

Close to 7000 researchers and academics registered for 10 webinars that we organized between January 2020 and May 2021. This webinar series covered topics such as PhD mental health, dealing with imposter feelings, breaking the stigma around academic mental health, dealing with stress and burnout in academia, and work-life balance.
R Voice

R Voice is a community that empowers researchers to connect, share, support, and grow. This community welcomes researchers' thoughts and experiences on academic mental health, self-care and wellbeing, and research culture. Members of the R Voice community can have open discussions on a variety of topics relevant to academic life; share personal stories and experiences; seek and offer support, advice, and motivation; and make connections with researchers across the globe.

Follow @CactusMHS to stay updated and participate in conversations.

What researchers say

Mental Health Survey

“Academia tends to be very stiff-upper-lipped! I think it's important to go beyond just rehashing the same talking points on mental health in academia. In my experience, people tend to feel more seen when the conversation is as safe and honest as possible. The thing about this survey is that some of the ambassadors have experienced mental health struggles themselves. Hopefully, this communicated the message that none of us have all the answers, but we are committed to the de-stigmatization of mental illness in academia. New insights help us provide more targeted interventions.” 

Dr. Furaha Asani

Postdoctoral researcher, teacher, writer, and mental health advocate

“I think that poor mental health in academia has become a culture we don’t question, where everyone is suffering and considers it a rite of passage rather than committing to changing the culture of academia to make it less damaging. If we can talk honestly and openly about cultures of overwork and privilege in academia, perhaps we can begin to make the university a more accessible space for a more diverse range of people. I think this survey is important in drawing together experiences from varying demographics, so we can pinpoint where some of the failings and successes are and ultimately learn from each other and different systems.” 

Rianna Walcott 

Writer, activist, and London Arts & Humanities Partnership (LAHP)-funded research scholar, King's College, London

“We’ve known for a long time now that academia is one of those professions where people are at a high risk of burnout and depression due to high stress levels. We also know that a lot of these issues stem from the system itself. Continuing to talk – loudly – about these issues is going to be key in increasing awareness and driving change, not just within individual institutions, but across the entire academic landscape.”

“This survey really helps to paint a picture of the global situation around mental health in academia – the issues raised are not unique to individual organisations or even countries. This survey is encouraging a global conversation about our research environments and how we can improve the health of academics around the world.”

Dr. Mary McMillan 

Lecturer in Biomedical Science at the University of New England, a current Science and Technology Australia “Superstar of STEM”, named one of 12 STEM Changemakers by the Australian Academy of Science in 2020

“It all starts with the mind.”

Project Details

We released two comprehensive survey reports:

Keeping the conversation going

Impact Numbers

26000

32000

CACTUS webinar series on academic mental health and wellbeing

What researchers say

Mental Health Survey