Precarious Contracts, PhD Burnout, and Why Academia Needs Flag Bearers

In this episode of Inside Out: Mental Health at Work and in Life, I'm joined by Camilla, a postdoctoral cancer researcher at University College Dublin, originally from Italy.

We explore what mental health looks like in the world of academic research, where short-term contracts, relentless pressure to publish, and blurred boundaries between work and life are the norm. Drawing on a decade of experience across four universities and three countries, Camilla shares what it was like to nearly burn out during her PhD, how therapy helped her recognise the warning signs, and why she now prioritises supporting the people around her.

We talk about what real culture change looks like in universities, from anonymous complaints processes and anti-bullying campaigns to restricting building access after hours and creating peer-led mental health seminars. Camilla reflects on the stark difference between institutions that take wellbeing seriously and those where it's invisible, and why the universities that invest in this are the ones attracting the best people.

We also get into the structural stuff: the cost of living crisis hitting researchers who are already on precarious contracts, PhD students working night jobs just to cover rent, and why "money absolutely does buy happiness" when the alternative is choosing between paying rent and visiting family. Camilla makes a compelling case that tenured staff, the people whose jobs are secure, have a responsibility to be the flag bearers for those who can't speak up without risking everything.

This is a conversation about what happens when passion for your work collides with a system that wasn't designed to look after you, and the small and big things that can shift that.

🔑 Key Topics

• Mental health in academic research: the culture of overwork and "live to work"
• Short-term contracts and the permanent uncertainty they create
• PhD students as the most depressed young people in Europe
• What real culture change looks like in universities (not tick-boxing)
• Why tenured staff must advocate for those in precarious positions
• The cost of living crisis and its impact on researcher wellbeing
• Moving countries for work: isolation, language barriers, and finding support

💡 Did You Know?

One university tackled overwork culture by restricting building access on weekends and after hours. Rather than telling researchers to "look after themselves," they changed the environment that was enabling the problem.

📝 Actionable Takeaways

• If you hold a secure position, ask those around you: "What would you like me to speak up about?"
• Create visible, accessible support: free phone numbers, anonymous complaints, mental health days
• Restrict after-hours building access to discourage overwork culture
• Use peer-led initiatives to normalise conversations about struggles and successes
• Recognise that financial security is a wellbeing issue, not separate from it

🗣️ Join the Conversation

If you're in a tenured or senior position, when was the last time you asked the people around you what they need you to fight for? Share your thoughts, connect with us on social media, and help us keep questioning what support really looks like in academic research environments.

🔗 Connect with Camilla on LinkedIn

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/camilla-maria-fontana-b758b216b/