Gender Disparities and Mental Health Challenges Among Doctoral Candidates

Introduction: Gender bias in academia persists, affecting women s participation. It is well known that women have less opportunities in comparation with men (i.e. to achieve positions on academia, be awarded with a grant, more difficulties for family-work conciliation, impostor syndrome, etc.) However, to date now, there is little evidence about gender differences among doctoral candidates despite it is a crucial position for the academia?s future, but it is evidenced that women have double chances of being distressed than male candidates. Aim: identify gender disparities across doctoral candidates. Methods: A total of 1010 doctoral candidates (645 women and 365 men) participated on a cross-sectional survey. Statistical analyses, including t-tests and chi-square tests were used to perform a comparation between male and female candidates. Results: Female candidates show higher levels of anxiety symptoms, distress, and work-to-family conflict, and were less likely to receive mental health treatment. They also reported lower satisfaction with thesis supervision, recognition, and training and higher levels of regret about starting a PhD. Conclusions: These findings highlight the disparities across male and female doctoral candidates in academia and emphasize the need for gender-sensitive policies and support mechanisms for mental health.