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As we emerge from lockdown and a period of uncertainty and anxiety, and with the University campus still partially closed, finding ways to connect with other doctoral researchers has never been more important. Online peer support groups offer an effective way of doing exactly that.

Four years ago, Claire Durrant set up an online support group for herself and three other doctoral researchers in the School of Education and Social Work. For Claire, having a regular connection with her peers was vital. The group has gone from strength to strength, and they intend to carry on meeting until they finish their PhDs.

Claire says: “The key benefit of our online support group is that it guarantees that, at least once a month, I get to talk to other people going through the same unique experience of studying for a PhD – an experience that is difficult for friends and family who have not been through it themselves to understand.”

Doing a PhD can be a lonely and isolating process. The certainty of chatting regularly with like-minded people about concerns and worries is both reassuring and helpful in maintaining good mental wellbeing. Claire’s online support group ‘meets’ once a month. They check in with each other to see how they are coping with the demands of the PhD, update each other on their research, and discuss research methods, supervision and anything else that comes up. They pick each other up when things are not going so well and celebrate each other’s successes together. They have supported each other through research proposals, ethics reviews, fieldwork, analysis and now writing up.

Faculty, PhD convenors and supervisors are being encouraged to recommend this initiative as a way of managing mental wellbeing, emphasising how helpful it can be to talk to people who are sharing the unique PhD experience. It is part of a bigger conversation about wellbeing and the importance of staying connected with other doctoral researchers. Based on findings from the UDOC project into PGR mental health, the Doctoral School has launched a series of bitesize workshops on mental health and wellbeing and is working with Student Minds to develop further PhD training.

If you would like to connect with fellow researchers and want the support of people who are going through similar issues, contact your PhD convenor or REC to see if they can match you with researchers in your School. If they can’t, or if you want to connect with researchers in other disciplines, fill in this short application form and the Doctoral School will match you with others based on your stage of study. You’ll find resources to help you set up a successful group on the Online PhD Peer Support Groups webpage.

Further information: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/internal/doctoralschool/wellbeing/supportgroups

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