Surviving the process: Identifying and interpreting factors impacting doctoral student wellness along the path to degree completion

Scriven, Shamina

Dissertation

Surviving the process: Identifying and interpreting factors impacting doctoral student wellness along the path to degree completion

Public Deposited

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Abstract

Higher education institutions have strategically and circumspectly managed the responsibility for students’ wellness by departmentalizing mental health support into voluntary services led by the university counseling and wellness departments. Departments such as counseling wellness, academic advisement, and student engagement are just some of the units that have collectively made a tremendous effort to manage college students’ evolving social, emotional, and basic human needs. However, research suggests that students require support that traditional support services alone can no longer provide. The evolving controversial conversation on mental health breakdown among terminal degree students suggests that to achieve a holistic student wellness initiative, we must move towards a collective process beyond the scope of reactive counseling services and towards a preventative partnership between the practitioner, the student, and the institution. This qualitative study aimed to understand better human wellness related to the doctoral student experience. This study was grounded in the theoretical framework of Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development. The participants were male and female scholars who have completed doctoral programs or have achieved doctoral candidacy in the United States. This study contributes to the knowledge surrounding doctoral student development and self-care. Participants’ testimonials of the student experience suggested that interpersonal relationships, isolation, and self-care factors impact students. The study results also suggested that reframing the wellness infrastructure in higher education involves incorporating theoretical perspectives. Erikson’s psychosocial development theory and Swarbrick’s human wellness model can be used to better understand student needs and pitfalls related to human development milestones. Recommendations drawn from these conclusions will promote a more holistic approach to student support service models and aid colleges and universities in converting student experiences into practical programs and services customized to support learners through overcoming psychosocial crises and leading to healthy personality development and academic success.

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