Thesis advisee mistreatment and mental health: a cross-sectional study based on Structural Equation Models

Background – Thesis advisee mistreatment is a phenomenon that has been increasingly documented in recent years. With the emergence of validated instruments, it is now possible to measure not only its prevalence but also its association with the mental health of the university population. Objective – To analyze the relationship between thesis advisee mistreatment and depression, anxiety, and stress in university students and graduates. Methods – This was an explanatory study in which 514 undergraduate students and graduates from the three regions of Peru participated voluntarily. Data were collected using the Thesis Advisee Mistreatment Scale (EMAT) and the DASS-21 scale. Structural equation modeling was performed to analyze the relationship. Results – The latent factor mistreatment, defined by the advisor (λ = 0.91), the committee (λ = 0.96), and the administrative staff (λ = 0.83), showed significant standardized associations with stress (β = 0.59), anxiety (β = 0.59), and depression (β = 0.61). In this regard, mistreatment explained 35% of the variance in stress (R² = 0.349), 35% in anxiety (R² = 0.346), and 38% in depression (R² = 0.377). Conclusion – Mistreatment perpetrated by all authority figures involved in the thesis process showed positive and strong associations with mental health problems. These findings suggest that a climate of persistent threat affects the confidence of university students and graduates who are working on a thesis, activating mechanisms of uncertainty and worry that, if sustained over time, could derive into symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress. On the other hand, given the cross-sectional design of the study, causal inferences cannot be drawn, for which reason longitudinal studies are recommended in order to establish the temporal directionality of these relationships.