Table 1:
General characteristics of the sample
| Demographics | n (%) |
|---|---|
| Gender | |
| Female | 16 (57.1) |
| Male | 12 (42.9) |
| Country | |
| Australia | 20 (71.4) |
| UK | 8 (28.6) |
| Expertise a | |
| Alcohol | 20 (71.4) |
| Tobacco | 15 (53.6) |
| Ultra-processed food | 15 (53.6) |
| Gambling | 9 (32.1) |
| Career stage | |
| PhD | 3 (10.7) |
| Early | 4 (14.3) |
| Mid | 8 (28.6) |
| Senior | 13 (46.4) |
| Challenges faced a , b | |
| Funding challenges | 24 (88.9) |
| Criticisms from industry or industry front groups | 21 (77.8) |
| Criticisms from other academics | 13 (48.1) |
| Funder influences | 12 (44.4) |
| Trolling on social media | 9 (33.3) |
| Legal challenges | 8 (29.6) |
| Influence from your institution/university | 4 (14.8) |
| Other | 6 (22.2) |
| Impacts a , b | |
| Stress | 20 (74.1) |
| Burnout | 15 (55.6) |
| Lack of work/life balance | 13 (48.1) |
| Impact on family or home life | 12 (44.4) |
| Impact on research (‘the chilling effect’ and willingness to research sensitive topics) | 11 (40.7) |
| Mental health (such as anxiety or depression) | 7 (25.9) |
| Other | 2 (7.4) |
| Supported by the university b | |
| Very unsupported | 1 (3.7) |
| Somewhat unsupported | 6 (22.2) |
| Somewhat supported | 12 (44.4) |
| Very supported | 8 (29.6) |
| Confidence in the university to support against a legal challenge b | |
| Not confident | 12 (44.4) |
| Somewhat confident | 9 (33.3) |
| Very confident | 6 (22.2) |
aCould select more than one.
b n = 27, participant did not complete these questions.