Data from the Researcher Mental Health Observatory STAIRCASE Survey
By: Jana Lasser, Stefan T. Mol, Alja Čontala, Ana Slavec, Andreja Zulim de Swarte, Anna Khachatryan, Anna Maria Eleuteri, Anupoma Haque, Baiba Jansone, Blerina Vrenozi, Brian Cahill, Carlos Trenado, Christiane Schwieren, Claudia Iuliana Iacob, Claudia Tejada-Gallardo, Cornelia Mairean, Darragh McCashin, Deborah Chery, Dilara Özel, Dimity Stephen, Dragan Mijakoski, Elena Ronda, Eleonora Ricci, Eliana Ibrahimi, Emese Vita, Fatjona Kamberi, Fernando G. Benavides, Francisco Valente Gonçalves, Gábor Kismihók, Gemma Pascual Manich, Igor Esnaola, Igor Portoghese, Inge van der Weijden, Irina Guseva Canu, Irsida Mehmeti, Ivana B. Petrovic, Jakub Šindelář, João Miguel Alves Ferreira, Jonila Gabrani, Karolina Eszter Kovács, Katri Pöllänen, Konstantinos Geles, Lamis Yahia Mohamed Elkheir, Lorena Cudris-Torres, Lise T. Løvseth, Louiza Ioannidou, Luksa Popovic, Mais M. Aljunaidy, Maria Fatjó Saboya, Marit Christensen, Marlene Santos, Marta Miklikowska, Mateja Erce Paoli, Mathias Schroijen, Mathieu Fusi, Mayya Sundukova, Mete Kurtoğlu, Milica Vukelić, Mirela Adriana Anghelache, Mohamad Nadim Adi, Mümine Barkçin, Nuno Barbosa Rocha, Nurka Pranjic, Olga Bogolyubova, Paulo Alexandre Soares Moreira, Paulo Moreira, Pil Maria Saugmann, Rivka Tuval-Mashiach, Rui Amaral Mendes, Sabina Osmanovic, Sinem Ozdede, Simone Lackner, Stéphanie Gauttier, Szidónia Rusu, Theodota Lagouri, Ümran Yüce-Selvi, Urszula Ziemiańczyk and Xhilda Dhamo
References
- Almeida, J. G., Hartog, D. N. D., De Hoogh, A. H., Franco, V. R., & Porto, J. B. (2022). Harmful leader behaviors: Toward an increased understanding of how different forms of unethical leader behavior can harm subordinates. Journal of Business Ethics, 180(1). 10.1007/s10551-021-04864-7
- Bal, P. M., Dóci, E., Lub, X., Van Rossenberg, Y. G. T., Nijs, S., Achnak, S., Briner, R. B., Brookes, A., Chudzikowski, K., De Cooman, R., De Gieter, S., De Jong, J., De Jong, S. B., Dorenbosch, L., Ghoreishi Galugahi, M. A., Hack-Polay, D., Hofmans, J., Hornung, S., Khuda, K., … Van Zelst, M. (2019). Manifesto for the future of work and organizational psychology. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 28(3), 289–299. 10.1080/1359432x.2019.1602041
- Bottesi, G., Ghisi, M., Altoè, G., Conforti, E., Melli, G., & Sica, C. (2015). The Italian version of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21: Factor structure and psychometric properties on community and clinical samples. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 60, 170–181. 10.1016/j.comppsych.2015.04.005
- Burr, H., Berthelsen, H., Moncada, S., Nübling, M., Dupret, E., Demiral, Y., … & Pohrt, A. (2019). The third version of the Copenhagen psychosocial questionnaire. Safety and Health at Work, 10(4), 482–503. 10.1016/j.shaw.2019.10.002
- Chia, A., Mossman, L., & Johnston, A. L. (2024). Academic precarity and mental health: reviewing the domains of precarity “of”,“at”, and “from” work. Research Handbook of Academic Mental Health, 168–180. 10.4337/9781803925080.00017
- Chmitorz, A., Wenzel, M., Stieglitz, R. D., Kunzler, A., Bagusat, C., Helmreich, I., Gerlicher, A., Kampa, M., Kubiak, T., Kalisch, R., Lieb, K., & Tüscher, O. (2018). Population-based validation of a German version of the Brief Resilience Scale. PloS one, 13(2),
e0192761 . 10.1371/journal.pone.0192761 - Colombo, L., & Ghislieri, C. (2008). The work-to-family conflict: Theories and measures. Work, 15(1), 35–55.
https://www.academia.edu/72836209/The_work_to_family_conflict_Theories_and_measures - Colquitt, J. A., & Rodell, J. B. (2011). Justice, trust, and trustworthiness: A longitudinal analysis integrating three theoretical perspectives. Academy of Management Journal, 54(6), 1183–1206. 10.5465/amj.2007.0572
- Daza, P., Novy, D. M., Stanley, M. A., & Averill, P. (2002). The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21: Spanish translation and validation with a Hispanic sample. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 24(3), 195–205. 10.1023/A:1016014818163
- Edwards, J. A., Webster, S., Van Laar, D., & Easton, S. (2008). Psychometric analysis of the UK Health and Safety Executive’s Management Standards work-related stress Indicator Tool. Work & Stress, 22(2), 96–107. 10.1080/02678370802166599
- Edwards, M. A., & Roy, S. (2017). Academic research in the 21st century: Maintaining scientific integrity in a climate of perverse incentives and hypercompetition. Environmental Engineering Science, 34(1), 51–61. 10.1089/ees.2016.0223
- Ehrlich, C. (2008). Fragebogen zur erfassung motivationsfördernder arbeitsbedingungen. Wirtschaftspsychologie, 4, 77–87.
https://radar.brookes.ac.uk/radar/file/d4a6f7bd-c99b-71e4-d106-a4fc3908472e/1/aufdeutsch.pdf - Evans, T. M., Bira, L., Gastelum, J. B., Weiss, L. T., & Vanderford, N. L. (2018). Evidence for a mental health crisis in graduate education. Nat Biotechnol, 36(3), 282–284. 10.1038/nbt.4089
- Færgestad, M. (2017). An effect evaluation of an intervention to improve the psychosocial work environment of a specific university unit. Master’s thesis, Norwegian University of Science and Technology.
https://hdl.handle.net/11250/2450362 - Hackman, J. R., & Oldham, G. R. (1975). Development of the job diagnostic survey. Journal of Applied Psychology, 60(2), 159. 10.1037/h0076546
- Hazell, C. M., Chapman, L., Valeix, S. F., Roberts, P., Niven, J. E., & Berry, C. (2020). Understanding the mental health of doctoral researchers: a mixed methods systematic review with meta-analysis and meta-synthesis. Systematic reviews, 9, 1–30. 10.1186/s13643-020-01443-1
- Huppert, F. A. (2009). Psychological well-being: Evidence regarding its causes and consequences. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-being, 1(2), 137–164. 10.1111/j.1758-0854.2009.01008.x
- Jacobs, I., & Horsch, A. (2019). Psychometric properties of the French Brief Resilience Scale. European Journal of Health Psychology, 26(1), 1–9. 10.1027/2512-8442/a000022
- Jakobshagen, N. (2006). Illegitimate tasks, illegitimate stressors: testing a new stressor-strain concept, dissertation, University Bern.
https://biblio.unibe.ch/download/eldiss/06jacobshagen_n.pdf - Keyes, C. L. (2005). Mental illness and/or mental health? Investigating axioms of the complete state model of health. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 73(3), 539. 10.1037/0022-006X.73.3.539
- Lasser, J. (2023).
STAIRCASE data protection plan . OSF. 10.17605/osf.io/9tr74 - Lau, R. W. K., & Pretorius, L. (2019). Intrapersonal wellbeing and the academic mental health crisis. Wellbeing in doctoral education: Insights and guidance from the student experience, 37–45. 10.1007/978-981-13-9302-0_5
- Levecque, K., Anseel, F., De Beuckelaer, A., Van der Heyden, J., & Gisle, L. (2017). Work organization and mental health problems in PhD students. Research Policy, 46(4), 868–879. 10.1016/j.respol.2017.02.008
- Lovibond, P. F., & Lovibond, S. H. (1995). The structure of negative emotional states: Comparison of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) with the Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventories. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 33, 335–343. 10.1016/0005-7967(94)00075-U
- Martin, D. (2012). French translation of the DASS. Ottawa University.
https://www2.psy.unsw.edu.au/groups/dass/French/DASS21French.pdf - Mol, S., Lasser, J., Chiu, M. M., Christensen, M., Lövseth, L., Matijas, M., Pajic, S., Tejada-Gallardo, C., Schwieren, C. (2025). Researcher Mental Health Observatory (ReMO): Multi-level multi-country multi-institute study on contextual antecedents of Researcher Mental Health. Preregistration on OSF.
https://osf.io/zgcq4 - Moncada i Lluís, S., Llorens Serrano, C., Salas Nicás, S., Moriña, D., & Navarro Giné, A. (2021). La tercera versión de COPSOQ-ISTAS21. Un instrumento internacional actualizado para la prevención de riesgos psicosociales en el trabajo. Revista Española de Salud Pública, 95.
https://hdl.handle.net/2445/180433 - Netemeyer, R. G., Boles, J. S., & McMurrian, R. (1996). Development and validation of work–family conflict and family–work conflict scales. Journal of Applied Psychology, 81(4), 400. 10.1037/0021-9010.81.4.400
- Nicholls, H., Nicholls, M., Tekin, S., Lamb, D., & Billings, J. (2022). The impact of working in academia on researchers’ mental health and well-being: A systematic review and qualitative meta-synthesis. PloS one, 17(5),
e0268890 . 10.1371/journal.pone.0268890 - Nielsen, K., Yarker, J., Munir, F., & Bültmann, U. (2018). IGLOO: An integrated framework for sustainable return to work in workers with common mental disorders. Work & Stress, 32(4), 400–417. 10.1080/02678373.2018.1438536
- Nilges, P., & Essau, C. (2015). Die Depressions-Angst-Stress-Skalen: Der DASS – ein Screeningverfahren nicht nur für Schmerzpatienten. Der Schmerz, 29, 649–657. 10.1007/s00482-015-0019-z
- Nübling, M., Stößel, U., Hasselhorn, H. M., Michaelis, M., & Hofmann, F. (2005).
Methoden zur Erfassung psychischer Belastungen . Erprobung eines Messinstrumentes (COPSOQ).https://www.baua.de/DE/Angebote/Publikationen/Schriftenreihe/Forschungsberichte/2005/Fb1058.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=1 - Peter, K. A., Golz, C., Bürgin, R. A., Nübling, M., Voirol, C., Zürcher, S. J., & Hahn, S. (2022). Assessing the psychosocial work environment in the health care setting: translation and psychometric testing of the French and Italian Copenhagen psychosocial questionnaires (COPSOQ) in a large sample of health professionals in Switzerland. BMC Health Services Research, 22(1), 608. 10.1186/s12913-022-07924-4
- Puls, R. (2016). NCHECR Hebrew translation. National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research Sidney.
https://www2.psy.unsw.edu.au/dass/Hebrew/DASS21Hebrew_NCHECR.pdf - Recipes for Well-being. (2025). Breve scala di resilienza.
https://www.recipesforwellbeing.org/it/brief-resilience-scale/ - Research Organization Registry. (2023).
ROR Data (v1.18) [Data set] . Zenodo. 10.5281/zenodo.7574659 - Rodríguez-Rey, R., Alonso-Tapia, J., & Hernansaiz-Garrido, H. (2016). Reliability and validity of the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) Spanish Version. Psychological Assessment, 28(5), e101–e110. 10.1037/pas0000191
- Roupas, Z. (2025). Radical reform is needed to combat power abuses in academia. Nature Human Behaviour, 1–1. 10.1038/s41562-025-02127-3
- Sang, K., Powell, A., Finkel, R., & Richards, J. (2015). ‘Being an academic is not a 9–5 job’: long working hours and the ‘ideal worker’ in UK academia. Labour & Industry: A Journal of the Social and Economic Relations of Work, 25(3), 235–249. 10.1080/10301763.2015.1081723
- Schaufeli, W., Desart, S., & De Witte, H. (2020). The Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) – development, validity and reliability. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(24), 9495. 10.3390/ijerph17249495
- Schaufeli, W. B., Shimazu, A., Hakanen, J., Salanova, M., & De Witte, H. (2017). An ultra-short measure for work engagement. European Journal of Psychological Assessment. 10.1027/1015-5759/a000430
- Semmer, N. K., Tschan, F., Meier, L. L., Facchin, S., & Jacobshagen, N. (2010). Illegitimate tasks and counterproductive work behavior. Applied Psychology, 59(1), 70–96. 10.1111/j.1464-0597.2009.00416.x
- Smith, B. W., Dalen, J., Wiggins, K., Tooley, E., Christopher, P., & Bernard, J. (2008). The brief resilience scale: assessing the ability to bounce back. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 15(3), 194–200. 10.1080/10705500802222972
- Sorensen, G., Sparer, E., Williams, J. A., Gundersen, D., Boden, L. I., Dennerlein, J. T., Hashimoto, D., Katz, J., McLellan, D., Okechukwu, C., Pronk, N., Revette, A., & Wagner, G. R. (2018). Measuring best practices for workplace safety, health, and well-being: the workplace integrated safety and health assessment. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 60(5), 430–439. 10.1097/JOM.0000000000001286
- Staehr, J. K. (1998). “The use of well-being measures in primary health care-the DepCare project.” World Health Organization, Regional Office for Europe: Well-Being Measures in Primary Health Care-the DepCare Project. Geneva: World Health Organization.
https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/mental-health/who-5_english-original4da539d6ed4b49389e3afe47cda2326a.pdf - Urbina-Garcia, A. (2020). What do we know about university academics’ mental health? A systematic literature review. Stress and Health, 36(5), 563–585. 10.1002/smi.2956
- Valdivieso Portilla, D. L., Gonzalez Rosero, A., Alvarado-Villa, G., & Moncayo-Rizzo, J. (2021). Psychometric properties of the Bern illegitimate tasks scale–Spanish version. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 593870. 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.593870
- Vander Elst, T., De Witte, H., & De Cuyper, N. (2014). The Job Insecurity Scale: A psychometric evaluation across five European countries. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 23(3), 364–380. 10.1080/1359432X.2012.745989
- Walde, P., & Völlm, B. A. (2023). The TRAPD approach as a method for questionnaire translation. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 14, 1199989. 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1199989
- Westerhof, G. J., & Keyes, C. L. (2010). Mental illness and mental health: The two continua model across the lifespan. Journal of Adult Development, 17, 110–119. 10.1007/s10804-009-9082-y
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5334/jopd.136 | Journal eISSN: 2050-9863
Language: English
Page range: 1 - 1
Submitted on: Jun 3, 2025
Accepted on: Apr 30, 2026
Published on: May 29, 2026
Published by: Ubiquity Press
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 1 issue per year
© 2026 Jana Lasser, Stefan T. Mol, Alja Čontala, Ana Slavec, Andreja Zulim de Swarte, Anna Khachatryan, Anna Maria Eleuteri, Anupoma Haque, Baiba Jansone, Blerina Vrenozi, Brian Cahill, Carlos Trenado, Christiane Schwieren, Claudia Iuliana Iacob, Claudia Tejada-Gallardo, Cornelia Mairean, Darragh McCashin, Deborah Chery, Dilara Özel, Dimity Stephen, Dragan Mijakoski, Elena Ronda, Eleonora Ricci, Eliana Ibrahimi, Emese Vita, Fatjona Kamberi, Fernando G. Benavides, Francisco Valente Gonçalves, Gábor Kismihók, Gemma Pascual Manich, Igor Esnaola, Igor Portoghese, Inge van der Weijden, Irina Guseva Canu, Irsida Mehmeti, Ivana B. Petrovic, Jakub Šindelář, João Miguel Alves Ferreira, Jonila Gabrani, Karolina Eszter Kovács, Katri Pöllänen, Konstantinos Geles, Lamis Yahia Mohamed Elkheir, Lorena Cudris-Torres, Lise T. Løvseth, Louiza Ioannidou, Luksa Popovic, Mais M. Aljunaidy, Maria Fatjó Saboya, Marit Christensen, Marlene Santos, Marta Miklikowska, Mateja Erce Paoli, Mathias Schroijen, Mathieu Fusi, Mayya Sundukova, Mete Kurtoğlu, Milica Vukelić, Mirela Adriana Anghelache, Mohamad Nadim Adi, Mümine Barkçin, Nuno Barbosa Rocha, Nurka Pranjic, Olga Bogolyubova, Paulo Alexandre Soares Moreira, Paulo Moreira, Pil Maria Saugmann, Rivka Tuval-Mashiach, Rui Amaral Mendes, Sabina Osmanovic, Sinem Ozdede, Simone Lackner, Stéphanie Gauttier, Szidónia Rusu, Theodota Lagouri, Ümran Yüce-Selvi, Urszula Ziemiańczyk, Xhilda Dhamo, published by Ubiquity Press
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.