Many scientists work on topics that have the potential to be personally upsetting. ScienceCareers spoke with three researchers who have experienced these challenges to find out how they deal with the emotional toll. MentalHealthAwarenessMonth
It’s common for graduate students to feel overwhelmed, frustrated, and burned out. But as social scientist Sharon Mallon neared the end of her Ph.D., she also felt emotionally drained by her research topic: suicide. The work felt intensely important, but she soon found that conducting sensitive interviews and synthesizing what she learned took a toll on her mental health.
This personal connection to his work has been “extremely motivating,” says Novacek, who is now a postdoc at the Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System and at the University of California, Los Angeles. But it also comes with an emotional cost. “Because it is personal, it can be stressful.” It can be taxing, for instance, to see study after study documenting the multifaceted impacts of racism and discrimination.
When the going gets particularly tough, Novacek turns to a community of researchers he’s built over the years with whom he can share and process experiences. It’s also helped that he’s worked under supervisors “who created space for me to process my emotions and … normalized the fact that we are humans and we have emotional responses, too.”Susanne Moser has spent the past 3 decades studying climate change as a university researcher, an advocate, a government scientist, and a consultant.
She felt tremendous pressure to produce research that made a difference. “I didn’t want to let down the people I’d spoken to, and I didn’t want to misrepresent the memories of the young people who died,” she says. At the same time, Mallon started to question the impact of her work. “A lot of the suicide research is about prevention,” she says. “But sometimes, I … just couldn’t see what more could have been done.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Secret Effects of Eating Blueberries, Says Science — Eat This Not ThatThere are numerous benefits to eating blueberries on a regular basis. Here's what the latest scientific research says about this tiny fruit.
Read more »
Here’s how two Texas constitutional amendments could lower some property taxesThe propositions on the May 7 ballot would lower property taxes by shifting more public school costs to the state. But the measures’ language can be hard to understand.
Read more »
Here’s how two Texas constitutional amendments could lower some property taxesTexas voters have the chance in a May 7 constitutional amendment election to expand homestead exemptions that could lower the amount of property values upon which property taxes can be levied.
Read more »
Here’s how two Texas constitutional amendments could lower some property taxesTexas voters have the chance in a May 7 constitutional amendment election to expand homestead exemptions that could lower the amount of property values upon which property taxes can be levied.
Read more »
In Both Europe And America Policy Failure Seems UnavoidableThe Fed and especially the ECB are moving too slowly to cope with inflation.
Read more »
Here’s how two Texas constitutional amendments could lower some property taxesTexas voters have the chance in a May 7 constitutional amendment election to expand homestead exemptions that could lower the amount of property values upon which property taxes can be levied.
Read more »