Towards sustaining a culture of mental health

The challenges faced by the current biosciences research enterprise have been extensively discussed and reviewed by many. These include the current hypercompetitive environment for obtaining federal research funding, long training periods for graduate and postdoctoral trainees, the existing publishing model, the grim academic job market, the challenges of navigating opportunities outside of academia, financial responsibilities and mentorship, among others

A dearth of high-quality data and research hinders a comprehensive understanding of the mental health of trainees. Limitations of existing data include paucity of information on postdoctoral trainees, limited sample sizes, lack of follow-up studies and inadequate data on the success of interventions.