Understanding and Fostering Mental Health and Well-Being among University Faculty: A Narrative Review

Abstract

In recent years, there has been increasing recognition of mental health concerns in academia, with stress, burnout, anxiety, and depression being reported among faculty members. The demanding work environment, the need to balance personal and professional duties, and the constant pressure of productivity while navigating multiple tasks of teaching, research, mentorship, professional development, and service all impact the mental health and overall well-being of faculty. Higher education institutions have structurally changed as has the research landscape. These changes as well as faculty-specific and student-specific factors coupled to the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic have led to profound effects on the mental health of academics. This paper is a narrative review of the pertinent literature describing faculty mental health and well-being. It summarizes the available evidence on factors influencing faculty mental health and shows the prevalence of anxiety, depression, stress, and burnout among faculty from various academic fields and along the whole academic ladder. Using a suggested framework that collates the efforts of leaders and faculty, the paper concludes by exploring strategies that promote work–life balance among academics and suggesting effective interventions to improve their mental health outcomes.

Mentoring and Well‐Being in Higher Education

“…Roos and Borkoski (2021) noted that attention to faculty well-being is not a normal part of academic culture, with most research focusing on professional roles and output over well-being. A recent review of the literature on fostering mental health and well-being among university faculty made the same conclusion, noting that a systematic investigation of the effects of mentorship programs on mental health and well-being remains an untapped area to explore (Hammoudi Halat et al, 2023).…”

AI-Powered Academic Guidance and Counseling System Based on Student Profile and Interests

“…In many countries, including Morocco, counseling services are unavailable in schools, and counselors can only visit schools once or twice a year due to limited human resources [25]. This lack of support leads to many students facing confusion, depression, and other mental health challenges as they struggle to pave a path toward a prosperous future [42,43]. Making an ill-informed decision about one's academic or career pursuits can result in severe consequences, such as dropping out of school [5], poor job performance, decreased community involvement, and, ultimately, the hindrance of society's growth.…”

How do changes to policies, systems, and environments in universities affect mental health and wellbeing? A systematic mixed studies review

“…While one included study did involve staff participants, it in fact evaluated impacts on students (Culver, et al, 2021). This absence of staff-centred research is surprising given the broadening scholarship on mental health at work -both in general (Fox, et al, 2022;Rugulies, et al, 2023;Yarker, et al, 2022) and specific to higher education (Hammoudi Halat, et al, 2023;Ohadomere & Ogamba, 2021;Urbina-Garcia, 2020). While this may be influenced by chronic difficulties in planning, implementation, and evaluation -such as lack of institutional commitment to change (Darker, et al, 2023;Dooris, Farrier, Powell, et al, 2019) -it remains a vital area for further research and advocacy.…”

“…University staff experience high levels of stress and burnout with low levels of wellbeing (Shen & Slater, 2021;Skead & Rogers, 2023;Urbina-Garcia, 2020), and are twice as likely as the broader population to work in environments presenting great risk to their mental health and wellbeing (Baum, et al, 2022). These findings are influenced by longstanding systemic issues -including insecure employment, high workloads, lack of organisational support and trust, lack of reward and recognition, repeated workforce reductions, escalating student-staff ratios, growing managerialism, and declining government funding (Bexley & Arkoudis, 2013;Hammoudi Halat, et al, 2023;Lee, et al, 2022;Nicholls, et al, 2022;Ohadomere & Ogamba, 2021;Winefield, 2014).…”