One-Third of Early-Career Researchers Report Distress, Meta-Analysis Finds

A preregistered systematic review and multilevel meta-analysis of 148 studies (N≈138,446) finds that about 29.9% of early‑career researchers (ECRs) report elevated psychological distress. Depressive symptoms (~28.5% on PHQ‑9) and anxiety symptoms (~27.6% on GAD‑7) are similarly prevalent; suicidal ideation appears in ~17.4%. Symptom severity is generally mild for depression and anxiety and moderate for stress, with substantial heterogeneity across syndromes and scales and limited impact of demographic factors. The study highlights structural stressors in ECR careers and calls for reforms and evidence‑based support services for this group. (COVID-19 era data largely included; samples skew toward higher‑income countries; quality and response rates varied.)