Modules to improve the quality of the mentor-mentee working relationship

About This Grant

PROJECT SUMMARY There is a mental health crisis among graduate students, encompassing both mental illness and broader well-being issues. These challenges don’t disappear when graduate students enter the classroom, research lab, or their mentor’s office. The pressures of academia can exacerbate these issues. As a result, faculty mentors frequently interact with students experiencing psychological distress, either acutely in the moment or more chronically over time. However, faculty mentors are ill-equipped to navigate these mental health challenges. Most faculty mentors did not receive training about mental health or effective interventions during their graduate education. Furthermore, empirically supported faculty mentorship training focused on mental health among graduate students is virtually nonexistent. Thus, faculty mentors are left to navigate complex dynamics with their students without the necessary training to do so effectively. To address this gap, we propose a series of self-paced modules for mentors of graduate students: a foundational module on interpersonal responsiveness plus 6 additional modules in the mental health toolkit. These 6 toolkit modules will cover cognitive reframing, self-affirmation, mindful self-compassion, dialectical thinking, community building, and mental health crisis support. These modules are firmly grounded in existing research in psychology and relationship science about interpersonal interactions, mental health and well-being, and coping strategies. Our team is highly interdisciplinary, with expertise in psychology, relationship science, education, mentorship, experimental design, and assessment and evaluation. In addition, there are 3 advisory boards (content expertise advisory board, interdisciplinary faculty advisory board, interdisciplinary graduate student advisory board) of 5 members each, with members representing various disciplines, institutions, and geographic areas across the U.S. Thus, the modules will be grounded in the empirical literature, utilize the expertise of the PI and Co-Is, and also be guided by input from faculty mentors and graduate students across disciplines, institutions, and geographic areas in the U.S. First, we will develop the modules using a multi-step, iterative process. Next, we will pilot the modules and further refine the module materials. Then, we will conduct a randomized controlled trial (RCT) assessing the efficacy of the modules, disseminate the results, and disseminate the modules. Evidence-based training for mentors navigating mental health challenges among their graduate students is lacking. Thus, these modules will fill an important gap in higher education training and in the scientific literature on mentorship.