Exploring Well-Being in Graduate Education: A Rackham Symposium View Other Sessions

Graduate students at the University of Michigan face significant financial pressures that can adversely impact their academic achievement, mental health, and overall well-being. While many students express interest in improving their financial knowledge, participation in existing financial education offerings remains limited—particularly among underrepresented and international populations. This interactive session will illuminate the financial literacy gap among graduate students, drawing on data, student perspectives, and current trends. Attendees will explore why financial education is critical to student success, the barriers to engagement, and the unique challenges faced by diverse student populations. The presentation will highlight accessible strategies for integrating financial education into graduate programs, equip campus partners with referral tools, and foster cross-campus collaboration to expand the reach of financial resources. Participants are invited to share departmental needs and contribute ideas to build a more financially informed, resilient, and equitable graduate student community at U-M. Join us to learn how you can help empower graduate students through financial education and support their holistic well-being.

  Time spent in natural environments can support students' mental, physical, environmental, spiritual, and social well-being. This session will introduce the positive effects of being in nature on social and emotional well-being, and how the Nature Rx program can support graduate student wellbeing. We propose a workshop in which we facilitate conference participants through nature-based activities to assist in coping with the stresses of academic life. We aim to strengthen social connections and create opportunities for self-reflection through connection with nature. Participants will practice mindful attention and appreciation for the natural environment, and learn how to refresh energy and reduce stress by being outside. We will learn how to appreciate nature in all its forms, and this session will be partially held outside. We will explore how outdoor activities can be used to support mental and emotional well-being, and help combat stress, loneliness, depression, and burnout in graduate students. We will also share resources for participants to connect with nature at the U-M Ann Arbor campus, such as Nature Rx and the Planet Blue Ambassador program. Participants will leave empowered to incorporate nature experiences into their self-care and community-care practices. For more information on the “A Breath of Fresh Air” guided nature experiences, please visit https://hr.umich.edu/benefits-wellness/health-well-being/mental-emotional-health/mental-emotional-health-classes-training-events/breath-fresh-air-guided-nature-experiences.

Other contributors:

• Kallie England, Social Work Supervisor, Adventure Leadership & Lecturer, School of Social Work
• Aboli Dahiwadkar, Sustainability Programs Coordinator, Graham Sustainability Institute
• With assistance from other Nature Rx Project Team members

Graduate education is often hailed as a transformative and empowering experience, fostering intellectual growth and professional development. However, it is also a period rife with significant challenges that can weigh heavily on students’ mental health and well-being, especially those from culturally diverse backgrounds. This presentation will explore the multifaceted issues that culturally diverse graduate students face, focusing on the tension between self-reliance and the need for guidance, as well as the persistent challenges of microaggressions, racism, and systemic inequities within academic spaces.

The phrase “Do it yourself,” often championed as a mantra of autonomy and self-determination, can carry unintended consequences when applied to culturally diverse students. While the encouragement to “Be the change you want to see” may seem empowering, it can also foster isolation, leaving students without the vital support and guidance to navigate complex academic and personal challenges. This pressure to be self-sufficient can exacerbate feelings of inadequacy and stress, as students feel responsible for creating their own solutions to systemic issues without adequate resources or mentorship. The paradox of these ideals lies in their potential to both empower and hinder, as students may be left to confront challenges without the institutional frameworks of support that are essential for mental health.

Additionally, the persistence of microaggressions and racism within graduate education remains a critical issue. Despite efforts such as unconscious bias training, many students continue to experience subtle and overt forms of discrimination that affect their academic performance and psychological well-being. Additionally, faculty and staff witnessing these events fosters collective feelings of hopelessness and helplessness within academic communities. These issues can lead to feelings of alienation, decreased sense of belonging, and increased anxiety, especially when students observe a lack of disciplinary action or institutional response to these behaviors. A lack of accountability can further contribute to unsafe and unwelcoming environments, heightening the stress that students experience in already demanding academic settings, and leading to burnout and emotional exhaustion, undermining well-being and mental health.

Well-being, however, is not a one-size-fits-all concept. The definition of well-being can vary significantly across different cultural and demographic groups, highlighting the importance of context when addressing mental health in graduate education. Diverse students may have different experiences and perceptions of what constitutes well-being, making it crucial to adopt inclusive approaches to mental health support. Furthermore, equitable access to resources and accommodations is critical to fostering an environment where all students can thrive. When resources are unevenly distributed or inaccessible, students from marginalized groups are disproportionately affected, compounding their challenges and hindering their ability to maintain their academic performance and mental health.

This presentation will analyze these issues, examining how institutional policies, cultural expectations, and the academic environment intersect to shape the mental health experiences of culturally diverse graduate students. The presentation will offer strategies for creating more supportive, inclusive, and equitable academic spaces that prioritize the well-being of all students, acknowledging the diverse needs and challenges they face. Finally, it will provide practical applications for mental health professionals working with graduate students.

Graduate students self-report symptoms of depression, anxiety, and burnout at a rate up to six times higher than average (Charles et al., 2022; SenthilKumar et al., 2023). In particular, students from marginalized backgrounds, including first-generation, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ students, are more likely to report poor mental health (Lipson et al., 2018; Przedworski et al., 2015; Wang et al., 2022). These mental health outcomes are inversely associated with academic retention and correlated with suicide risk (Riera-Serra et al., 2023; SenthilKumar et al., 2023). Research among graduate students highlights the effects of the academic environment on mental health, with poor faculty mentorship, institutional discrimination, and a non-supportive departmental climate representing key risk factors (Charles et al., 2023). On the other hand, robust social support and community cohesion are protective for student well-being. These risk and protective factors are malleable in a higher education context. By applying lessons from public health that advance multi-sector mobilization of community, organizational, and interpersonal resources for prevention, faculty, staff, and students can cultivate a positive environment that proactively reduces risk and builds capacity for wellness (Pirkis et al., 2024). 

Promoting Community Conversations About Research to End Suicide (PC CARES) is a research-informed, community-led intervention that takes a public health approach. Co-created with Alaska Native wellness advocates, PC CARES builds on the protective capacities of community to promote well-being and mitigate suicide risk through everyday strategies and local policies. The approach involves a series of five workshops aimed at developing shared knowledge and collaborative relationships that enable participants to solve problems in difficult situations, innovate based on their social roles, and proactively support mental wellness (Trout et al., 2018). By attending these interactive workshops over time, participants co-create “communities of practice” (CoP) which foster multi-sector community-driven prevention efforts (Wexler et al., 2016). Evaluation research on PC CARES has demonstrated pre-to-post test increases in suicide prevention knowledge, self-efficacy, and preventative actions taken among participants (N=541) when compared to others unexposed to the intervention (Wexler et al., 2018; Wexler et al., 2019; Wexler et al., 2025; White et al., 2022). Outcomes of PC CARES also include social diffusion of learning—a mechanism of CoP—meaning participants shared what they learned with those close to them, amplifying impact. In 2024, PC CARES was recognized as a Suicide Prevention Best Practice by the federally funded Suicide Prevention Resource Center. From August 2024 to January 2025, PC CARES was implemented at the University of Michigan with a cohort of staff, researchers, and graduate students (n=11) to assess the program’s salience within a university context, and it was well-received—offering new collaborative opportunities for prevention. 

The proposed research-to-practice session will extend this approach through an interactive workshop that shares strategies for active and supportive listening for wellness among students, staff, and faculty—laying the groundwork for a multi-sector Rackham community of practice. Based on principles of adult learning and community organizing, PC CARES workshops share best practices and ask participants to discuss and brainstorm ways to apply their takeaways. Participants will leave the session understanding complementary perspectives on suicide prevention, local survey data on student connectedness, and how to practice reflective listening.

Graduate school offers a distinct student experience that differs significantly from undergraduate education. This transition can be life-changing, as students shift their focus toward specialized academic content aligned with their career aspirations. Along the way, they often face challenges such as adapting to intense educational expectations, managing time effectively, coping with imposter syndrome, battling burnout, communicating their needs to loved ones, and maintaining balance in their personal lives. These pressures can negatively impact the mental health and wellbeing of graduate students. Although college counseling centers are valuable resources for navigating these challenges, their services remain underutilized (Healthy Minds Network, 2022; 2023; Woolston, 2019). To address this issue, institutions must tap into the power of campus partnerships and collaborations. These intentional connections make it possible to leverage resources and support in ways that amplify the impact of collaborative efforts and create more meaningful outcomes for graduate students, both on campus and in distance learning programs, who may feel isolated or disconnected from their institution (Irani, Wilson, Slough, & Rieger, 2014). At the University of Michigan–Flint, the Office of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) has enhanced its approach to graduate student wellbeing by building effective professional partnerships. Our efforts to collaborate with various departments have enabled a dynamic exchange of insights, leading to the development of tailored resources and support strategies that elevate the graduate student experience. In this interactive, practice-focused workshop, students, faculty, staff, administrators, licensed mental health professionals, and non-clinical professionals will explore the impact of campus partnerships and collaborations through thoughtful discussions. 

Attendees will be encouraged to reflect on how a collaborative campus environment can foster both academic and personal success for graduate students while also strengthening professional relationships on an institutional level. Additionally, attendees will be invited to consider actionable ways to initiate or deepen partnerships within their own campus communities.

Mental health problems in college students have increased in prevalence over the past 10 years, including graduate students (Lipson et al., 2019). According to the Healthy Minds Network, of students surveyed pursuing a Masters degree, 27.8% met criteria for an anxiety disorder and 31.1% met criteria for a depressive disorder (2024). However, students do not only seek support from formal help-seeking resources like counseling services. The Healthy Minds Network found that 67.9% of students surveyed pursuing a Masters degree sought informal mental health support over the past year (2024). Campus Mind Works (CMW) serves as an informal help-seeking resource for college and graduate students. CMW was launched in 2009 in response to the increasing number of U-M students who had psychiatric disorders. First, the CMW website was created to make it easier for students to access and utilize existing U-M and community resources and manage their symptoms. Based on North Campus mental health needs, CMW developed the free drop-in support groups where students could receive ongoing education, support to manage their symptoms and navigate campus resources. These groups were successful and brought to central campus. In 2019, staff at Munger Graduate Residences reached out to CMW about developing free drop-in wellness groups that were specifically designed for graduate students. Based on anecdotal data, Munger staff reported that graduate students desired a space that provided privacy from undergraduate students who they might teach or supervise and specifically target the unique mental health stressors of graduate students including academic pressures, academic relationships, work-life balance challenges, and financial pressures. An anonymous survey (n=89) was implemented to determine the mental well-being topics unique to graduate students, feedback on what type of group they would attend and schedule preferences. This data informed the creation of the CMW graduate student wellness groups. The topics students identified included: stress, anxiety, maintaining mental wellness, depression, navigating relationships with faculty, and managing expectations in graduate school. Recent research by Griffin, et al. (2023) also found that the following four topics largely impact graduate student well-being: perceived work/life balance; managing progress on research; program completion and job search; and overall faculty relationships. Graduate student wellness groups originally were planned to be in-person, but the pandemic required a shift to virtual. Today, groups are offered both virtual and in-person to meet student needs. Based on student feedback, these wellness groups are also offered asynchronously on the CMW website. We will introduce participants to the CMW mission to reduce stigma surrounding mental health by making it easier for students to access and utilize existing U-M and community resources, manage their symptoms, and succeed in college. This is done through the CMW website and the free drop-in wellness that are designed for graduate students. We will discuss how historical collaboration with graduate students and colleges/units allowed for responsive wellness group topics tailored to graduate students’ needs. We will explore opportunities for future collaboration with graduate students and colleges/units to provide tailored mental health education and support.