A series of articles in The Chronicle of Higher Education examines the prevalence of depression in grad school students. Blogger Zuska highlights these articles, including a workshop conducted by Linda Driskell at Rice University, who asks her subjects to draw pictures of themselves writing their dissertations. "The faces, with their worried frowns, sad mouths, and sleep-deprived anguish, are the most poignant reminder of how our systems isolate and threaten the next generation of prospective intellectual leaders," Driskell says.
Zuska suggests taking a break. "Continuing in a path that is causing you nothing but misery, when you aren't at all sure you want to do it -- it's worth thinking about whether a break is the right thing to do. At least letting yourself think about it as a real possibility will let you feel like continuing is a real choice, not a trap," she writes.