Developing a Wellbeing Lens for Researchers

The purpose of this presentation is to analyse the development and applications of a tool to support the development of knowledge, behaviours and attributes that contribute to positive wellbeing and mental health for researchers. The Wellbeing and Mental Health Lens is one of a series of lenses on the Vitae Researcher Development Framework (RDF), a framework which was developed with researchers working in the higher education sector to support the planning, promotion and enhancement of professional development. The development of the lens was prompted by research undertaken in the UK which identified issues in the wellbeing and mental health of the postgraduate researcher culture and in research culture more widely. Within the wider context, the Postgraduate Researcher Experience Survey (2019) showed that the wellbeing levels of postgraduate researchers are below that of the general population and that anxiety is significantly higher than that of the undergraduate population. Moreover, a report commissioned by Wellcome (2020) indicated that poor research culture is leading to stress, anxiety and mental health problems. Both reports highlight a need to focus on strategies to support researchers and institutions for the promotion of good wellbeing and mental health within professional development and training.