Workplace Stress, Presenteeism, Absenteeism, and Resilience Amongst University Staff and Students in the COVID-19 Lockdown

Abstract

Background: This study explored how the COVID-19 outbreak and arrangements such as remote working and furlough affect work or study stress levels and functioning in staff and students at the University of York, UK.Methods: An invitation to participate in an online survey was sent to all University of York staff and students in May-June 2020. We measured stress levels [VAS-scale, Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ)], mental health [anxiety (GAD-7), depression (PHQ-9)], physical health (PHQ-15, chronic medical conditions checklist), presenteeism, and absenteeism levels (iPCQ). We explored demographic and other characteristics as factors which may contribute to resilience and vulnerability for the impact of COVID-19 on stress.Results: One thousand and fifty five staff and nine hundred and twenty five students completed the survey. Ninety-eight per cent of staff and seventy-eight per cent of students worked or studied remotely. 7% of staff and 10% of students reported sickness absence. 26% of staff and 40% of the students experienced presenteeism. 22–24% of staff reported clinical-level anxiety and depression scores, and 37.2 and 46.5% of students. Staff experienced high stress levels due to COVID-19 (66.2%, labeled vulnerable) and 33.8% experienced low stress levels (labeled resilient). Students were 71.7% resilient vs. 28.3% non-resilient. Predictors of vulnerability in staff were having children [OR = 2.23; CI (95) = 1.63–3.04] and social isolation [OR = 1.97; CI (95) = 1.39–2.79] and in students, being female [OR = 1.62; CI (95) = 1.14–2.28], having children [OR = 2.04; CI (95) = 1.11–3.72], and social isolation [OR = 1.78; CI (95) = 1.25–2.52]. Resilience was predicted by exercise in staff [OR = 0.83; CI (95) = 0.73–0.94] and in students [OR = 0.85; CI (95) = 0.75–0.97].Discussion: University staff and students reported high psychological distress, presenteeism and absenteeism. However, 33.8% of staff and 71.7% of the students were resilient. Amongst others, female gender, having children, and having to self-isolate contributed to vulnerability. Exercise contributed to resilience.Conclusion: Resilience occurred much more often in students than in staff, although psychological distress was much higher in students. This suggests that predictors of resilience may differ from psychological distress per se. Hence, interventions to improve resilience should not only address psychological distress but may also address other factors.

Stress, Coping, and Resilience Before and After COVID-19: A Predictive Model Based on Artificial Intelligence in the University Environment

“…This indicates that the relationship between resilience and stress is more complex than initially assumed and needs further investigation. In line with the results of the present research, the study by van der Feltz-Cornelis et al (2020) concluded that the promotion of resilience should not focus exclusively on stress, but rather address it from a multifactorial perspective, since the relationship is not as direct as one might think a priori. Additionally, it would be notable to introduce the variables depression and anxiety into the neural network model, since other studies have identified them to be closely related to stress (Rodríguez-Hidalgo et al, 2020), as well as develop an ANN whose dependent variable is the moment (pre-or post-confinement).…”

General Anxiety, Academic Distress, and Family Distress Among Doctor of Pharmacy Students

“…Similar to the Feltz-Cornelis and colleagues' study and the study by Xiang and colleagues, our data suggested an association between low physical activity and low-clinical GA (Table 2). 28,29 However, contrary to these studies, we did not see any association between low physical activity and high-clinical GA. 28,29 Our study suggests that the protective effect of physical activity is limited to low-clinical GA but not high-clinical GA.…”

Network-Based Online Survey Exploring Self-Reported Depression Among University and College Students During the Early Days of the COVID-19 Outbreak

“…In our study, the proportion of self-reported depression symptoms was 65.2%, where mild and M/S accounted for 53.7 and 11.5%, respectively. Our finding is higher than that of several online surveys conducted in the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic (17.2-37.1%) (6,31,32), and it is also higher than a study conducted in the UK among college students (46.5%) (33). Moreover, the mean score of self-reported depression was 54.8 ± 9.0, which is higher than the Chinese norm (41.88 ± 10.57) and a study conducted in Shandong, China (42.47 ± 8.61) (p < 0.05) (34).…”