中国博士生向Nature哭诉：博导骂我“无能”，我患上重度抑郁！Nature为其发声

英文原文：My relationship with my PhD supervisor has become toxic — what do I do?

博士生求助信原文：

I am writing to ask for your advice because I am in crisis: I fear that my professional relationship with my supervisor has become toxic and irreparable. A huge problem for me is the complete lack of academic guidance. I feel that my research proposals are constantly being rejected. Worse, I often encounter extremely harsh remarks during this process. For example, my supervisor calls me “incompetent” and says I am “not even as good as a master’s student”. I receive no suggestions on how I should improve, which has caused my research attempts to hit a dead end repeatedly.

我写信向你寻求建议，因为我正处于危机之中：我担心我与导师的职业关系已经变得“有毒”且无法挽回。对我来说，最大的问题是完全缺乏学术指导。我的研究提案总是被否定，更糟的是，在这个过程中我还频繁遭遇极其严厉的言语攻击。比如，我的导师骂我“无能”，说我“甚至连硕士生都不如”。但我从来没有得到过任何具体的改进建议，这导致我的研究一次次陷入死胡同。

The constant psychological pressure and verbal abuse have had a devastating impact on my mental health. I have been formally diagnosed with severe depression and mild anxiety. I am now at a crossroads: I do not know whether I should stay silent, file a complaint, or simply drop out of my PhD programme.

持续的心理压力和言语虐待，已经对我的心理健康造成了毁灭性的打击。我被正式确诊为重度抑郁症和轻度焦虑症。现在我站在人生的十字路口：我不知道自己该选择沉默、投诉，还是干脆退学。

I am desperate for advice on how to navigate this toxic relationship with my supervisor.

我迫切需要建议，来应对这段和导师之间的“有毒”关系。

Nature asked five experts in graduate education, mentorship and mental health for their advice on how to navigate this situation.

《Nature》邀请了5位来自研究生教育、导师指导和心理健康领域的专家，就如何应对这种情况提供建议。

1. Prioritize your mental health, always（1. 永远优先考虑你的心理健康）

Your well-being must come first, before your PhD, says Charlotte Rogers, head of the graduate school at the University of Exeter, UK, and author of *How to Get Your PhD*. “A PhD is a chapter in your life, not your whole life,” she says. “If the relationship is making you unwell, that is the priority.”

英国埃克塞特大学研究生院院长、《如何获得博士学位》一书的作者夏洛特·罗杰斯表示，你的健康必须放在首位，比博士学位更重要。“博士学位只是你人生中的一个篇章，不是你的全部人生，”她说。“如果这段关系让你感到不适，那这就是首要需要解决的问题。”

The student should access their university’s counselling services immediately, Rogers says. Many institutions offer free, confidential support for students. They should also talk to trusted friends, family or peers, to break the isolation that often comes with toxic supervision.

罗杰斯说，这名学生应该立即利用学校的心理咨询服务。许多机构都为学生提供免费、保密的支持。他还应该和信任的朋友、家人或同学交流，打破“有毒”指导通常带来的孤立感。

“Stop blaming yourself,” Rogers adds. “The supervisor’s behaviour is their responsibility, not yours. Verbal abuse is never acceptable, no matter the context.”

“停止自责，”罗杰斯补充道。“导师的行为是他们的责任，不是你的。无论在何种情况下，言语虐待都是不可接受的。”

2. Gather evidence and assess the situation（2. 收集证据，评估情况）

英文原文：Before taking any formal action, the student should document everything, says Soo Hee Kim, a psychologist and director of the Office of Graduate Student Life at the University of California, San Francisco. “Keep a detailed record of all interactions with your supervisor: emails, meeting notes, instances of verbal abuse, and the impact on your work and mental health,” she says. “This evidence will be critical if you need to escalate the issue.”

加州大学旧金山分校心理学家、研究生生活办公室主任金秀熙表示，在采取任何正式行动之前，学生应该记录下所有事情。“详细记录你与导师的所有互动：邮件、会议纪要、言语虐待的具体事例，以及这些事情对你的工作和心理健康造成的影响，”她说。“如果你需要将问题升级，这些证据将至关重要。”

The student should also assess whether the toxic behaviour is targeted at them, or a pattern across the lab. “Talk to other students in the group, confidentially, to understand their experiences,” Kim says. “This will help you determine whether it is a systemic issue with the supervisor, or a personal conflict.”

学生还应该评估这种“有毒”行为是针对他个人，还是实验室里的普遍现象。“私下和组里的其他学生交流，了解他们的经历，”金秀熙说。“这将帮助你判断，这是导师的系统性问题，还是你与导师之间的个人矛盾。”

3. Try to set boundaries and communicate clearly（3. 尝试设定边界，清晰沟通）

英文原文：If the relationship is not beyond repair, the student should attempt a structured, professional conversation with their supervisor, says Rogers. “Go into the meeting with a clear agenda: outline your research progress, the specific challenges you are facing, and what support you need to move forward,” she says. “Be specific, not emotional. For example: ‘I need clear, actionable feedback on my research proposal by X date, so that I can progress my work’.”

罗杰斯说，如果这段关系还没有到无法挽回的地步，学生应该尝试与导师进行一次有条理、专业的对话。“带着清晰的议程参加会议：概述你的研究进度、你面临的具体挑战，以及你需要什么样的支持才能继续推进研究，”她说。“要具体，不要情绪化。比如：‘我需要在X日期前，得到关于我的研究提案的明确、可执行的反馈，这样我才能推进我的工作’。”

The student should also set clear boundaries around acceptable behaviour, Kim says. “If the supervisor makes abusive remarks, calmly but firmly say: ‘I cannot continue this conversation if you speak to me in that way’,” she says. “This establishes that you will not tolerate mistreatment.”

金秀熙说，学生还应该为可接受的行为设定清晰的边界。“如果导师发表侮辱性言论，要冷静但坚定地说：‘如果你用这种方式和我说话，我就无法继续这场对话了’，”她说。“这能明确表明，你不会容忍虐待行为。”

4. Seek support from your university（4. 向学校寻求支持）

英文原文：If direct communication fails, the student should turn to their university’s formal support structures, says Rogers. Most institutions have a graduate school, ombudsperson or student advocacy office that can help mediate conflicts, or support a request to change supervisors.

罗杰斯说，如果直接沟通失败，学生应该向学校的正式支持机构求助。大多数机构都有研究生院、监察员或学生权益办公室，这些部门可以帮助调解矛盾，或者为更换导师的请求提供支持。

“Changing supervisors is a legitimate right for PhD students, and many universities have clear processes in place for this,” Rogers says. “The student should submit their evidence to the relevant department, and request a formal review of their supervision.”

“更换导师是博士生的合法权利，许多大学都为此制定了明确的流程，”罗杰斯说。“学生应向相关部门提交证据，并请求对其指导情况进行正式审查。”

In China, many universities have introduced regulations to protect PhD students’ rights, including the right to apply for a change of supervisor, says Li Wei, a professor of higher education at Peking University, who studies graduate student mental health. “The student should familiarize themselves with their university’s policies, and follow the formal procedure to file a complaint or request a transfer,” he says.

北京大学高等教育学教授、研究研究生心理健康的李伟表示，在中国，许多大学已经出台了保护博士生权利的规定，包括申请更换导师的权利。“学生应熟悉所在大学的政策，并按照正式程序提交投诉或申请转学（转导师），”他说。

5. Consider leaving the programme, if necessary（5. 必要时，考虑退出项目）

If the situation cannot be resolved, the student should not hesitate to consider leaving the PhD programme, says Kim. “Staying in a toxic environment will only cause further harm to your mental health, and can have long-term consequences for your career and well-being,” she says.

金秀熙说，如果问题无法解决，学生应该毫不犹豫地考虑退出博士项目。“留在‘有毒’的环境中只会进一步损害你的心理健康，并可能对你的职业发展和身心健康造成长期影响，”她说。

Leaving a PhD is not a failure, Rogers emphasizes. “It takes courage to recognize that a situation is not working, and to walk away,” she says. “There are many paths to a successful career, and a PhD is not the only one.”

罗杰斯强调，退出博士项目并不是失败。“意识到一种情况行不通并选择离开，这需要勇气，”她说。“成功的职业道路有很多条，博士学位并不是唯一的一条。”

For students who wish to continue their research, transferring to another university or lab is an option, but it requires careful planning, says Li. “The student should reach out to potential new supervisors, explain their situation, and seek support to transfer their research,” he says.

李伟说，对于希望继续从事研究的学生来说，转学到另一所大学或实验室是一个选择，但这需要周密的计划。“学生应联系潜在的新导师，说明自己的情况，并寻求支持以转移自己的研究项目，”他说。

Final thoughts（总结思考）

Toxic supervision is a systemic issue that requires action from universities, not just individual students, the experts say. Institutions must implement mandatory mentorship training for supervisors, regular check-ins for PhD students, and clear, accessible processes for reporting and resolving conflicts.

专家们表示，“有毒”指导是一个系统性问题，需要大学采取行动，而不仅仅是依靠学生个人。各机构必须为导师提供强制性的指导培训，定期与博士生沟通，并建立清晰、易操作的投诉和冲突解决流程。

But for students in crisis, the priority is clear: protect your mental health, seek support, and know that you do not have to tolerate abuse.

但对于处于危机中的学生来说，优先级很明确：保护好自己的心理健康，寻求支持，并记住——你不必容忍任何虐待行为。