Proceedings from a National Summit on Workplace Mental Health and Well-Being: A Focus on the Graduate Academic Environment

An acceleration in the decline in reported mental health and well-being for those in

higher education institutions (HEIs) since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic has been well

documented in a series of research articles and mass media articles. For students, deteriorating mental health has been linked to fear of exposure to the virus, a sense of isolation and detachment from family and friends, virtual rather than in-person classes, increased pressure to

succeed academically and enter the workforce, obtaining a satisfying job in one’s field of study,

and adjusting to financial strains made worse by increased costs of housing, food, transportation, medical care, and social activities. Recognizing these challenges to their student bodies, HEIs instituted or supplemented programs and services designed to lessen stressors. These have included easier access to counseling services, flexible curricula, tutoring support, and more inclusive social events. Less attention has been directed to staff and faculty employed at HEIs who have reported higher rates of anxiety and depression compared to the general population, both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.6,7 In addition to their own mental health and well-being issues, faculty and staff often need to perform the tasks of surrogate parents whose job is to navigate students’ journeys through newfound independence without traditional support of family members and long-time friends. Many staff and faculty at all levels of educational institutions face work-related issues such as low wages and job insecurity; competing job demands; inadequate training; lack of recognition; scarce resources; lack of acknowledgement of their value built on a foundation of hierarchical structures; and on-the-job harassment exacerbated by unfair treatment because of their race, gender, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. Moreover, faculty are constantly reminded that they must “publish or perish;” maintain their position by securing outside funding; recognize long timelines for promotion; acknowledge the lack of boundaries between work and non-work lives; live with a sense of being overwhelmed; and be expected to navigate the often opaque and calcified bureaucracy that reinforces operational silos within their institutions.

Recognizing these hardships confronting staff and faculty at HEIs, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health convened a National Summit on Workplace Mental Health and Well-Being: A Focus on the Graduate Academic Environment. In June 2023, subject matter experts from across academia, business, government, and practice gathered in Baltimore, Maryland to share research and best practices about workplace mental health in academia that address the psychosocial factors, organizational conditions, and environmental exposures. This paper compiles the views of presenters who offered to contribute to this proceedings paper.

Read full paper here.