Your doctoral journey as a researcher is challenging yet rewarding. PİO-ARGÜP (Psychological Well-Being Focused Researcher Empowerment Program) is Turkey's first comprehensive scientific program designed to support your psychological well-being and empower you throughout this journey.
Supported by TÜBİTAK 2515 - COST Action Members R&D Support Program and coordinated by METU under the leadership of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gökçe Gökalp, this 36-month research project is being conducted within the framework of the European Researcher Mental Health Observatory (ReMO COST Action - CA19117) with an international perspective.
Three Main Objectives of Our Project
Model Development
Based on the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model, to scientifically analyze factors affecting the psychological well-being of PhD students in Turkey (job demands, job resources, and personal resources such as psychological capital), and create Turkey's first "Researcher Psychological Well-Being Model."
Program Development
Based on this model, to design and develop a culture-specific Online Psychological Well-Being Focused Researcher Empowerment Program (PİO-ARGÜP) that is free and easily accessible to all PhD students.
Researcher Empowerment
Through our program equipped with psychological capital training (hope, optimism, self-efficacy, resilience) and academic support resources, to enhance PhD students' psychological well-being, support their academic development, and scientifically evaluate the short and long-term effects of the program.
Why PİO-ARGÜP?
Doctoral education is one of the most challenging yet rewarding periods of academic life. However, recent research shows that PhD students experience mental health problems at higher rates compared to the general population. This has emerged as a global issue.
The Situation in Turkey Is Particularly Alarming:
COVID-19 Pandemic: Since 2020, the pandemic has deeply affected academic life, bringing challenges of remote education, social isolation, and increased uncertainty.
February 6, 2023 Earthquakes: The "disaster of the century" affected 11 provinces and caused PhD students to experience primary or secondary trauma.
Systemic Challenges:
- Shortage of qualified faculty members
- Increasing doctoral program dropout rates (over 40% at some universities)
- Limited support services and financial difficulties
- Late completion age
Job Demands:
- Heavy workload
- Publication pressure
- Time pressure and deadlines
- Advisor relationships and loneliness during thesis writing
- Work-life imbalance
- Career uncertainty and job insecurity
Inadequacy of Current Support Services: Psychological support services provided by universities in Turkey generally focus on undergraduate students, neglecting the unique needs of PhD students.
PİO-ARGÜP is being designed to fill this gap. We offer a solution based on scientific research, culturally specific, accessible, and sustainable.
Expected Impacts and Contributions
Scientific Contributions:
- First psychological well-being model for PhD students in Turkey
- Testing the validity of the JD-R model in academic context and Turkey
- Integration of psychological capital as a personal resource into the JD-R model
- Grounded theory development with mixed methods approach
- Use of ADDIE and Cognitive Load Theory in psychological well-being focused program development
- Contribution from Turkey to ReMO COST Action's E-HUB data center
Societal Contributions:
- Accessible support for 114,508 PhD students
- Increased awareness about researcher mental health
- Prevention of qualified human resource loss
- Potential reduction in doctoral dropout rates
- Increased research quality and productivity
- Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 3: Healthy living, SDG 4: Quality education)
Economic Contributions:
- Open-licensed, freely accessible digital resource
- Mobile application and startup company potential
- Increased employment and productivity
- Contribution to qualified researcher employment
Policy and Institutional Contributions:
- Policy recommendations for YÖK (Council of Higher Education) and universities
- Institutional good practice guidelines
- Foundation for national researcher empowerment strategies