Resources
No, it's not just you. Grad School Confidential pulls back the curtain on the grad student experience, taking a candid look at the feelings that many of us leave unspoken.
Return to this page regularly for new resources to help you on your scholarly and personal journey. We'll provide a list of readings related to each show topic.
Books and Websites
Anand, P. (2018). Building healthy boundaries: 14 different ways to say no. PsychCentral.com.
https://psychcentral.com/blog/building-healthy-boundaries-14-different-ways-to-say-no#1
Clear, J. (2018). Atomic habits: an easy & proven way to build good habits & break bad ones. New York: Avery.
Covey, S. (2004). The 7 habits of highly effective people: powerful lessons in personal change. New York: Free Press.
HelpGuide.org (2023). Stress management.
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/stress-management.htm
Long, D. (n.d.). An ER doctor on triaging your 'crazy busy' life. TEDx talk.
https://www.ted.com/talks/darria_long_an_er_doctor_on_triaging_your_crazy_busy_life?language=en
Articles
Brus, C. (2006). Seeking Balance in Graduate School: A Realistic Expectation or a Dangerous Dilemma? Supporting Graduate and Professional Students: The Role of Student Affairs, 115, 31-45. https://doi.org/10.1002/ss.214
Yusuf, J-E (Wie), Saitgalina, M., & Chapman, D.W. (2020). Worklife balance and well-being of graduate students. Journal of Public Affairs Education, 26:4, 458-483. DOI: 10.1080/15236803.2020.1771990.
Articles
Coping with Highly Stressful or Traumatic Events
Counselling and Clinical Services, University of Alberta (2019). My Mental Health: Coping with highly stressful or traumatic events. Edmonton: University of Alberta.
https://www.ualberta.ca/media-library/ualberta/current-students/counselling/ccs_mhs_coping-traumatic-event_july2019.pdf
Recovering from PTSD: When to Seek Treatment
Counselling and Clinical Services, University of Alberta (2019). My Mental Health: Recovering from PTSD: When to Seek Treatment. Edmonton: University of Alberta.
https://www.ualberta.ca/media-library/ualberta/current-students/counselling/ccs_mhs_ptsd-when-to-seek-treatment_july2019.pdf
Dear Maddi: How do I stop living in the past when I have a history of trauma?
Counselling & Clinical Services, University of Alberta (2020). Edmonton: University of Alberta.
https://www.ualberta.ca/science/student-services/student-life-engagement/wellness-matters/dear-maddi/2020/november/dear-maddi-trauma.html
Resource Hub: PTSD and Trauma
https://www.helpguide.org/home-pages/ptsd-trauma.htm
PTSD Treatment Basics
https://www.ptsd.va.gov/understand_tx/tx_basics.asp
Symptoms of Traumatic Stress and Grounding Techniques
McMaster University (2020).
https://svpro.mcmaster.ca/app/uploads/2020/02/Symptoms-of-Traumatic-Stress-and-Grounding-Techniques.pdf
Books
Life After Trauma: A Workbook for Healing
Dena Rosenbloom, PhD, Mary Beth Williams, PhD, and Barbara Watkins, PhD (2010)
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
Bessel Van der Kolk (2014)
Waking The Tiger
Peter Levine (1997)
Suicide Crisis Lines
Edmonton
Canadian Mental Health Association Distress Line 780-482-4357 (HELP)
Canada
Canada Suicide Prevention Service 1-833-456-4566
United States
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255
Other Regions
For a list of services in your region and around the world, access the “List of suicide crisis lines” on this Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_suicide_crisis_lines
Dealing with Depression
Depression & Coping Strategies
Counselling and Clinical Services, University of Alberta (n.d.). My Mental Health: Depression. Edmonton: University of Alberta. https://www.ualberta.ca/media-library/ualberta/students/university-wellness-services/ccs/handouts/english/depressionlong-version.pdf
A Psychologist's Guide to Graduate School
Maertz, Kim (n.d.). A Psychologist’s Survival Guide to Graduate School. Edmonton: Counselling and Clinical Services, University of Alberta. https://www.ualberta.ca/media-library/ualberta/students/university-wellness-services/ccs/handouts/english/psychologists-survival-guide-to-graduate-school.pdf
Managing Depression During Self-Isolation
Counselling and Clinical Services, University of Alberta (n.d.). My Mental Health: Managing Depression in Self-Isolation. Edmonton: University of Alberta. https://www.ualberta.ca/current-students/counselling/resources/ccs_mhs_depression-isolation_may2020-1.pdf
Coping with Depression
Smith, Melinda, Lawrence Robinson, and Jeanne Segal. 2021. Coping with Depression. HelpGuide.org. https://www.helpguide.org/articles/depression/coping-with-depression.htm
Helping Someone With Depression
Smith, Melinda, Lawrence Robinson, and Jeanne Segal. 2021. Helping Someone with Depression. HelpGuide.org. https://www.helpguide.org/articles/depression/helping-someone-with-depression.htm
Articles
The Emotional Toll of Graduate School
Puri, Prateek. “The Emotional Toll of Graduate School.” Scientific American, Observations blog, January 31, 2019. https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/the-emotional-toll-of-graduate-school/
Depression, Anxiety, and Suicidal Ideation among Ph.D. Students
Satinsky, Emily N. et al. “Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Depression, Anxiety, and Suicidal Ideation Among Ph.D. Students.” Nature: Scientific Reports 11 (2021), accessed Sept. 18, 2021, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-93687-7
Featured Resource
Haggerty, Kevin D. and Aaron Doyle. 57 Ways to Screw Up in Grad School: Perverse Professional Lessons for Graduate Students. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, 2015.
Contending with Criticism: Emotional Strategies
“Assert Yourself! Module 7: How to Deal Assertively with Criticism.” Centre for Clinical Interventions, Government of Australia. Accessed May 3, 2021. https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/-/media/CCI/Consumer-Modules/Assert-Yourself/Assert-Yourself---07----Dealing-With-Criticism-Assertively.pdf.
Grenny, Joseph. “How to Be Resilient in the Face of Harsh Criticism.” Harvard Business Review. June 17, 2019. https://hbr.org/2019/06/how-to-be-resilient-in-the-face-of-harsh-criticism.
Nawaz, Sabina. “How to Take Criticism Well.” Harvard Business Review. April 2, 2019. https://hbr.org/2019/04/how-to-take-criticism-well.
“Sensitivity to Criticism.” GoodTherapy. Accessed May 3, 2021. https://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/issues/sensitivity.
Academic Strategies
Bennett, Liz (guest author). “Learning to accept reviewer feedback as a gift.” Patter (blog), ed. Pat Thomson. March 24, 2014. https://patthomson.net/2014/03/24/learning-to-accept-reviewer-feedback-as-a-gift.
Murray, Rowena. “Responding to Reviewers’ Feedback.” In Writing for Academic Journals, 196-216. Maidenhead, England: Open University Press, 2009.
Paré, Anthony. “Making sense of supervision: Deciphering feedback.” In The Routledge Doctoral Student's Companion: Getting to Grips with Research In Education and the Social Sciences, ed. Pat Thomson and Melanie Walker, 107-15. New York: Routledge, 2010.
Tools
Informal Screener for Burnout:
The Mind Tools Content Team. “Burnout Self-Test: – Are You at Risk?” Stress Management from MindTools.com. Accessed February 17, 2021. https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTCS_08.htm.
Toolkit on Self-Compassion:
Neff, Kristin. “Self-Compassion.” March 6, 2018. https://self-compassion.org/.
Articles
Cornér, S., Löfström, E., & Pyhältö, K. (2017). “The relationships between doctoral students’ perceptions of supervision and burnout.” International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 12, 91-106. Retrieved from http://www.informingscience.org/Publications/3754.
Dunphy, Claire, Jennifer Mandelbaum, and Mary Martinelli. “Tips for Beating Burnout in Graduate School: SBM.” Society of Behavioral Medicine. Accessed February 17, 2021. https://www.sbm.org/healthy-living/tips-for-beating-burnout-in-graduate-school.
Kotler, Steven. “How to Recover from Burnout.” Psychology Today. Sussex Publishers, January 19, 2021. https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/the-playing-field/202101/how-recover-burnout.
Articles & Readings
Covid-Specific- How to Stay Connected with Friends While Social Distancing
- The Beauty of Discord and Staying Connected in a Socially Distanced Time
- Let’s Keep Our Distance: The Dos and Don’ts of Staying Connected During a Pandemic
- A Student’s Guide to Wellness During the COVID-19 Pandemic
- Strategies for Loneliness & Isolation
- Social Anxiety & Shyness
- J. Kalubi et al., "Graduate students’ mental health: Exploring experiences of isolation and loneliness" European Journal of Public Health 30, Issue Supplement 5, Sept. 2020
Ways to Connect (for U of A Students)
- Take part in Unitea: Meet virtually to have a conversation and connect. There's even graduate specific collective tea times.
- Join a student group
- Volunteer
- Get involved with the GSA
Need Support?
If you're a U of A student struggling with your mental health and need support, talk to a clinician:
Explore the following references:
- Clance, Pauline R. "Impostor Phenomenon (IP)," Pauline Rose Clance, PhD, ABPP [website], https://paulineroseclance.com/impostor_phenomenon.html.
- Cohen, Emma D. and Will R. McConnell. "Fear of Fraudulence: Graduate School Program Environments and the Impostor Phenomenon." The Sociological Quarterly 60, no. 3 (2019): 457-78.
- Jostl, Gregor et al. "When Will They Blow My Cover? The Impostor Phenomenon Among Austrian Doctoral Students." Zeitschrift fur Psychologie 220, no. 2 (2012): 109-20.
Be sure to consult these excellent resources from the Yale Graduate Writing Lab:
- Tips for Writing in Academia and Beyond
- Writing Your Way out of Imposter Stress: Eight Quick Tips
- Writing through Imposter Stress for Military Veterans Going in to Academia: Ten Quick Tips
And check out this article featuring the work of a UAlberta psychologist:
- "Up to 70 per cent of us feel like a fraud, says U of A psychologist" (by Gillian Rutherford on folio.ca, February 20, 2020)
