University and graduate schools are important stages, but the journey is far from being a smooth river. According to data from the Healthy Minds Study at the University of Michigan, psychological discomfort is gaining ground in many courses.
Among them, the business and management sectors have recorded a particularly marked deterioration in the mental health of their enrollees. A phenomenon which questions the pressure suffered by these future graduates.
Depression on campus: numbers constantly rising
Between 2019 and 2024, the percentage of business students reporting depression increased from 29.5% to 32.6%. Major depressive disorders experience a similar progression. In the ranking of the most affected disciplines, business now rises to 5th place with the highest increases, just behind courses deemed extremely demanding such as medicine, law, social work or engineering.
While these courses represent a massive portion of the degrees awarded each year (more than 375,000 bachelor’s degrees in the United States alone), this observation alerts health professionals to the widespread financial and emotional stress that weighs on student life.
Precariousness and unstable markets: the weight of economic uncertainty
How can we explain this distress? For experts, the economic climate plays a crucial role. Engaging in management studies within a job market perceived as unstable or unpredictable generates a strong feeling of helplessness.
The fear of failure and the fear of not repaying one’s efforts after obtaining the diploma create fertile ground for doubt, rumination and depressive symptoms. When the vision of the future darkens, motivation gives way to a feeling of impasse.
Between ideal of versatility and post-graduation anxiety
The business sector, however, retains one major attraction: its versatility. Chosen by many young people to maintain a flexible and competitive profile in the face of an uncertain future, this “generalist” course can however turn against them.
The absence of an immediately targeted professional project rekindles the anxiety of “what next?”. Faced with these emerging needs for emotional support and the rapid changes in the professional world, specialists are calling for an evolution in the academic world, often considered too rigid in the face of today’s realities.
Ultimately, while business studies continues to open many doors, it no longer spares the psychological health of those who follow it. To prevent overwork and depression, learning to verbalize your doubts and seeking psychological support during your studies remains essential to experience your schooling more peacefully.