Shaping the Future of Mental Health Research in Entrepreneurship

In this short, content-focused blog, I share key insights and emerging directions highlighted during the event.

Part 1: Panel discussion

The panel began by addressing a central concern for early-career researchers: how to formulate novel and meaningful research questions in this rapidly developing field. Prof. Ute Stephan encouraged scholars to follow their intrinsic motivation and expertise rather than prescribed topics. She highlighted the need to explore entrepreneurs’ experiences with autonomy and responsibility, as well as the underappreciated role of entrepreneurship as a pathway for individuals with disabilities or mental health challenges.

Prof. Florian Noseleit emphasized the importance of examining macro-level consequences of entrepreneurial mental health, including effects on job creation, innovation, and societal challenges. Prof. Basil Englis noted a shift in entrepreneurship research toward psychological processes rather than static personality traits, raising questions about the potential of non-clinical interventions to improve decision-making under stress.

Across the discussion, panelists agreed that more research is needed on both the positive effects of well-being for entrepreneurial performance and the economic consequences of founder burnout and premature exits of high-potential firms.

Since mental health research as such involves significant ethical and operational complexities, the discussion continued with sharing viewpoints on these challenges. Dr. Nikita Bezborodov highlighted the increasing prevalence of mental disorders and questioned whether expanding medicalization is always effective, emphasizing the importance of studying outcomes beyond clinical diagnoses. Prof. Englis further pointed to challenges related to measurement validity, stigma, and gaining access to entrepreneurs experiencing mental health difficulties, stressing the value of collaboration with clinical experts.

The panel also discussed methodological issues such as selection effects, survivor bias, and the importance of studying entrepreneurial trajectories over time. Prof. Stephan underscored the need for rigorous ethics approvals and cautioned against the untrained use of clinical instruments. Qualitative methods were highlighted as particularly valuable for uncovering underlying mechanisms and challenging existing theories.

Additional topics included sample size constraints, the use of text-analysis tools (e.g., LIWC) to assess well-being, and potential circular relationships between business performance and founder mental health. Dr. Bezborodov noted that rapid environmental change and brain plasticity in younger generations may limit the applicability of older quantitative findings, while Prof. Stephan emphasized the importance of incorporating non-Western contexts and avoiding Eurocentric assumptions.

Entrepreneurship research sits at the intersection of multiple disciplines. Prof. Englis observed that while entrepreneurship studies may not always generate core psychological theory, they provide a valuable context for testing theories in extreme work environments. Prof. Stephan shared her experience editing special issues in psychology journals to encourage cross-disciplinary dialogue, noting the challenges posed by differences in research designs and sample expectations.

Nevertheless, entrepreneurship journals, such as the Journal of Business Venturing, were identified as particularly receptive to interdisciplinary work.

After that, we discussed interventions aimed at improving entrepreneurial mental health. Dr. Bezborodov and Prof. Englis agreed that modern transdiagnostic approaches show promise, especially for addressing common difficulties rather than severe clinical conditions. Prof. Englis emphasized the distinction between clinical treatments and the “light-touch” interventions typically studied in entrepreneurship research, which focus on tools, reflection, and coping strategies.

The discussion concluded with a call for interdisciplinary collaboration to design studies that enhance entrepreneurs’ daily functioning rather than solely treating mental illness. Participants highlighted the potential value of integrating physiological measures, bodily practices, and economic metrics to assess the return on investment of well-being initiatives.

13 promising proposals were presented in the second part of the workshop. reflecting the breadth of current work in this emerging field. Topics ranged from psychological detachment, loneliness, and burnout to digital multitasking, AI use, social connections, resilience, and family firm contexts.

Many thanks to the contributing presenters: Stephanie Koutny (EM Lyon Business School), Jun Zhou (ESCP Business School), Amelie Gschwinder (University of Bern), Yuchen Hu (ESADE Business School), Sooriya Mudalige Nirma Praveeni (Griffith University), Enlin Zhou (University of Groningen), Stephanie Raible (University of Delaware), Cristina Ilie (Universidade de Vigo), Yasmin Hesham Eid (University of Cologne), Jelena Budanceva (RISEBA University of Applied Sciences), Johanna Heisgen (Technical University of Munich), Lamiaa Bakry (Jonkoping International Business School), and Justine Durochat (Jean Moulin Lyon 3 University).

Overall, the proposals demonstrated strong interest in longitudinal designs, process-oriented approaches, and real-world interventions targeting entrepreneurial well-being. The panel members facilitated the parallel sessions and provided detailed feedback. Most presenters reported high satisfaction with the quality and usefulness of the feedback received. A post-workshop survey also indicated very high overall satisfaction, encouraging us to position this event as the first edition of what we plan to develop into an annual “Mental Wealth” workshop series.

Looking ahead

The strong engagement and enthusiasm of participants confirm that mental health is rapidly becoming one of the central topics in entrepreneurship research. We are very much looking forward to continuing these conversations and meeting many of the participants in person at the RENT 40th Anniversary Conference in Antwerp, Belgium.