Creating a supportive academic culture by preventing and responding to transgressive behavior

Abstract

Transgressive behavior, including bullying, harassment and abuse of power, severely impacts the mental health of early-career researchers (ECRs). A global survey revealed that more than 36% of 6,300 ECRs sought help for anxiety or depression related to their PhD studies, highlighting the widespread prevalence of this issue1. Additional studies highlighted alarming mental health challenges in Belgium2,3, the UK4, the USA5 and the Netherlands6, with nearly half of PhD candidates in the Netherlands at risk of psychiatric disorders6. These findings reveal that mental health challenges are a pervasive issue in academia1,7,8. Research has consistently linked exposure to transgressive behavior with deteriorating mental health9.

Despite the urgency, ECRs often struggle to report transgressive behavior, leaving issues invisible to policymakers and institutions. Unlike previous approaches that focus primarily on top-down solutions, we highlight the importance of bottom-up strategies informed directly by researchers’ experiences. Drawing from roundtable discussions with 120 PhD students, we have developed actionable recommendations that continue to inform university-level policy changes and aim to create more supportive academic environments (Table 1).