Take the burden off researchers

A number of young and middle-aged researchers at the peak of their career are said to have died from overwork in March.

In recent years, long working hours and intense competition have been blamed for frequent physical and mental health problems, especially depression and anxiety, among researchers.

According to a 2019 survey published by the Institute of Psychology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, about a quarter of the researchers surveyed said they were prone to depression, and more than half of them－especially those under the age of 40 and with intermediate professional titles－had varying degrees of anxiety.

The problem is more prevalent among the younger researchers because of increased competition, rigid management and tight deadlines.

The number of Chinese people holding a doctorate in science, industry, agriculture and medicine increased from 37,000 in 2011 to 52,000 in 2020, up 40.8 percent, making the competition fiercer.

As a result, some researchers are "infinitely increasing working time "to increase their output and gain opportunities.

Many universities are even adopting the "promoted or fired" model to motivate researchers, forcing young researchers to spend more time on research.

According to a survey by the China Association for Science and Technology, more than 60 percent of researchers said they have to work overtime on weekends to complete their research.

The country urgently needs to establish a cultivation, evaluation, encouragement, service and guarantee mechanism that is conducive to the physical and mental health of young researchers.

It should further enrich and perfect the existing evaluation indicators and form a diversified evaluation system that is more process-focused and downplays the quantitative assessment of achievements.

The country should also further improve the mental health service system and scientific research support and security system for researchers, and provide them with normal psychological counseling and research-support services.