Relationships between postgraduate student mental health and the resources and demands inherent to academic work

The ability to manage demands and resources particular to the postgraduate experience influences both the individual's performance and mental health, and, when it is limited or absent, might lead to extreme situations, such as suicide attempts. The present study sought support on the job demands-resources to explain the relationship between suicidal attempts, depression, anxiety and stress symptoms, job characteristics, work overload, success perception, family-work enrichment, demographic and study environment variables among postgraduate students. A total of 1.619 master and doctoral students, aged between 20 and 58 years (M = 29.7, SD = 5.8), answered an online survey. Descriptive data analyses evidenced that 85.1% of the sample affirmed that productivity levels affect their mental health, and 9.2% attempted suicide (38.9% after postgraduation initiation). Regression analyses predicted the variation in the levels of a combined index of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms (DASS) in 30% (F (7, 1406) = 86.6 p > 0.001). The network analysis indicated positive relationships between work context and overload; academic success contribute to achieving personal and career goals (Meta) and family-work enrichment; productivity levels and DASS, and this with suicide attempt. Negative associations emerged between productivity levels and student-advisor relationship, and this with work context. These findings point to individual and contextual variables that can lead to mental illness and suicide risk in postgraduate students.