Predictors of university staff distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Part II. Risk and protection factors in women and men

Abstract

Introduction and objective: Analysis of distress risk and protective factors regarding sociodemographic and COVID-19 pandemic related factors in the group of women and men working at Polish universities. Materials and methods: From March to August 2021, an online survey was conducted among 1,015 university staff aged 22–82 (M = 44.39 years, SD = 11.4), including 68.3% women. The semi-structured questionnaire used in the study included sociodemographic data, pandemic experiences, stressors from remote teaching, and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) to measure distress. Results: Multivariate regression has shown that the pandemic burden is significant for the severity of anxiety, depression, and stress for both men and women. The age of the participants was a significant predictor of the severity of anxiety and stress only in the group of women. We also found the difference between the groups in the relationship between academic status and stress. For women, the work of an academic teacher was a strong stress factor responsible for a stronger feeling of general stress. Being in a relationship was a factor in protecting against depression in the group of women. Conclusions: For both women and men, the most critical risk factors for worsening mental well-being were factors directly and indirectly related to the pandemic situation: changes in private life during the pandemic, the feeling of pandemic burden, and the occurrence of chronic diseases. On the other hand, the protective factor for both males and females was a close relationship.