The pursuit of an academic career, particularly during doctoral studies, is often accompanied by significant psychological strain. PhD students experience high levels of stress due to publication demands, slow academic timelines, and peer comparison, often resulting in anxiety, depression, and burnout. Despite growing awareness, evidence-based interventions to support doctoral well-being remain scarce. This study evaluates two types of interventions aimed at reducing stress and enhancing self-compassion among PhD candidates at the International Doctoral School of Rey Juan Carlos University (Madrid, Spain) during the 2024–2025 academic year.

Owing to limited availability, participation was restricted to a limited pool of doctoral students. Eligible participants in this study were doctoral candidates who had completed at least one year of their PhD program and demonstrated a clear interest in doctoral well-being. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups: Group-1, led by university psychologists, and Group-2, facilitated by senior PhD researchers. Group-1 focused on emotional regulation and stress management through experiential techniques such as mindfulness and self-compassion exercises. In contrast, Group-2 emphasized support from experienced academics, emotional sharing, and reflection on academic and personal challenges, within the context of innovation in higher education. Both interventions were structured around four weekly sessions, with the possibility of attending two additional follow-up sessions. Pre- and post-intervention assessments were performed using standarized questionnaires measuring perceived stress and self-compassion. Results showed a greater improvement in self-compassion scores among participants in the psychologist-led group (total mean difference of 0.52 out of a maximum score of 5) compared to the senior academic-led group (score of 0.12). Stress reduction was similar across both groups (mean differences in the score of 0.07 and 0.06 on a 1-point scale, respectively). These findings suggest that while both interventions positively impact doctoral well-being, professional psychological guidance may be particularly effective in fostering self-compassion. This study contributes to the limited but growing body of evidence on well-being health interventions in doctoral education and highlights the importance of institutional support in promoting sustainable academic careers.

Keywords: PhD students, Well-being, Interventions, Perceived stress, Self-compassion.