Comment by abhayhegde

Academia places unrealistic goals on brilliant people and pays them so meagerly that they have to often find other sources of income. On top of this, some of the advisors are outright unbearable with their demands and work expectations, the world seems bleak for even a motivated researcher. Amidst the scarcity of grants, measly pay, extremely competitive environment, uncertainties tied with job market, failures in experimental methods, intractable theoretical adventures, publish-or-perish culture, and the better alternatives available for someone with a skill-set enough to pursue grad school, it's hardly any surprise grad students have mental health issues.