Sorry but I don't think Ph.D. depression in the sciences/engineering has much to do with paying for their education, since the vast majority in the US get tuition waivers and a stipend that generally now is fairly reasonable, esp if their health insurance is included as part of the package. I would assume in many other countries there is a similar level of support due to the fact that undergraduate education (not living expenses) is generally a public cost.
It is the constant stress of trying to get your project to work, hitting one dead end after another, and having to 'compete' for your advisor's attention that I would think is causing a lot of the problems. Plus, the young people your age who went to work with their bachelor's degrees in science or engineering are having a lot more fun (or it looks that way); this is also the time when relationships get serious (or not) for many of these students. And then there is the time spent studying to pass qualifying exams....what ISN'T there to be anxious about, really?
Once/if your personal life settles down and your project starts to take off--because really it does--life becomes a lot more bearable--again, I'm only talking physical sciences and engineering here. I hope this researcher gathered data across the spectrum--new students, students who had been in grad school 1-2 years, and then the 3-5 (0r 4-6) year students. I'll read the article once I have time to log in through my college's library services....
I do think that there needs to be more acceptance and even promotion of college mental health services; a number of the women who attended grad school in my department went to counseling (me, too) but the men were really stay-aways. This was in the 1980's--maybe it's changed, I sure hope so.
Just my personal experience. I'd go to grad school again but I think I'd warn anyone thinking of it that it's the first few years that are the toughest, mentally...and also, to seek out a therapist when you first started to feel bad, not to wait...
Margaret
