In July, when the Centers for Disease Control released a report documenting suicide rates by occupation in the U.S., it yielded both bleak and surprising results: Architects and engineers ranked fifth on the list, beating out high-stress jobs like police officers, firefighters, and corrections workers.
The results of a new report further sheds light on the state of mental health in the architectural profession in the U.K. According to an annual survey released by the Architects’ Journal, one in four architecture students reported they had received treatment for mental health issues during the course of their studies. Architecture students said a high-stress work culture, long hours, and anxiety over student debt contribute to excess emotional strain. One anonymous respondent said, “A culture of suffering for your art is promoted within education.”
Of the 450 students surveyed, nearly 31 percent of participants have been asked to work for free by practices, while another 38 percent said they did not expect to repay their student loans.
The study also polled students about discrimination, a question that yielded equally disquieting results: Half of women said they had experienced sexism at some point and 13 percent of participants said they faced racial discrimination. Read the entire report here.