Predictors of university staff distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Part I. Sociodemographic, occupational and pandemic factors-Reference-Cited by-同舟云学术

Predictors of university staff distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Part I. Sociodemographic, occupational and pandemic factors

Published:2024-07-24 Issue:1 Volume:24 Page:28-35
ISSN:1644-6313
Container-title:Psychiatria i Psychologia Kliniczna
language:
Short-container-title:Psychiatr Psychol Klin

Author:

Hintze Beata¹^ORCID,Woźniak-Prus Małgorzata²^ORCID,Gawrych Magdalena³^ORCID,Cudo Andrzej⁴^ORCID

Affiliation:

1. Department of Neuropsychology and Neurobiology, Institute of Psychology, The Maria Grzegorzewska University, Warsaw, Poland

2. Department of Child and Family Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland

3. Department of Clinical Adult Psychology, Institute of Psychology, The Maria Grzegorzewska University, Warsaw, Poland

4. Department of Experimental Psychology, Institute of Psychology, The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland

Abstract

Introduction and objective: To identify predictors of depression, anxiety, and stress within the sociodemographic, occupational, and COVID-19-related factors in the group of female and male university staff. Materials and methods: The study was conducted over six months (from March to August 2021) during the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic among university staff using the Google platform. The semi-structured questionnaire used in the study included sociodemographic data, pandemic experiences, stressors from remote teaching, and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) to measure mental health. Results: In the study, we questioned 1,015 university staff, including 68.3% women. The participants ranged from 22 to 82 years (M = 44.39 years, SD = 11.4). Significant differences were obtained between women and men regarding sociodemographic variables, concerns about COVID-19, and pandemic burdens. There was also a higher severity of anxiety assessed by the DASS-21 in women. Different models were obtained for the severity of symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Conclusions: Women had higher anxiety levels than men during the COVID-19 pandemic. Regardless of gender, mental health risk factors were chronic illness and younger age; protective factors – a higher level of education (academic degree) and being in a relationship (married or informal). For women, an additional protective factor was living in a small town and employing them as academic teachers. For men, a significant risk factor was the death of a familiar person due to COVID-19.

Publisher

Medical Communications Sp. z.o.o.

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