Wellbeing for women studying STEM
Published: 11 July 2022
Research insight
How differing experiences for men and women studying STEM subjects affect their wellbeing and mental health.
A survey of 21 countries explored growing up in modern societies and found that 36% of young people (aged 15 to 24 years) felt frequently worried, anxious, or nervous. In addition, 19% said they repeatedly experienced feelings of depression.
While the global presence of anxiety and depression may be increasing for students and the general population, such feelings are likely unevenly distributed across demographic groups. Women, mature students, working-class students, and those from LGBT+ groups may feel marginalised in multi-faceted ways within broader cultures and, more specifically, within university department micro-climates.
Mental health can be particularly problematic in STEM (Sciences, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) disciplines, where high levels of competition and achievement may be prioritised over personal welfare, with women particularly vulnerable to stress, anxiety, and depression. This may be exacerbated in male-dominated disciplines, where women may feel 'othered' or 'tokenised'.
The Gendered Journeys Project aims to map patterns of gendered experiences in STEM. As part of this research, the researchers surveyed over 650 STEM students attending different universities in the UK, India, and Rwanda.
Here Daniel Leyton, Professor Catherine Lido, and Zyra Evangelista present some of their preliminary findings on wellbeing and mental health issues experienced in general by our respondents, and how men and women studying STEM might differently experience emotional outcomes during their studies.
Read the article on the Urban Big Data Centre website
First published: 11 July 2022