Unveiling the Emotional Turmoil: How Covid-19 impacted researchers and the pursuit of emotional well-being in academia

Abstract

AbstractThe Covid-19 crisis unprecedentedly required researchers to adapt to significant changes in their work and personal lives. Our study aims to fill this gap analysing the Covid-19 emotional impact and confinement potential disruptions on researchers’ activity (specifically, those related to working conditions, caring responsibilities, health, balance, and social support) considering the modulating role played by age, gender, and job position. An online survey was distributed during the first lockdown period of the Covid-19 pandemic, and answers from 1301 researchers (ECR %, senior researchers %) working in Sciences (28.1%), Social Sciences (25.9%), Humanities (16.2%), Health (16.2%) and in Engineering and Architecture (13.5%) were collected. The study highlights that the initial lockdown during the Covid-19 pandemic had a significant emotional impact on researchers, exacerbating pre-existing emotional distress and burnout within this group. Factors such as age, health, gender, and difficulties in balancing work and family life were associated with an increased risk of burnout and emotional distress. Lack of social support was identified as a significant risk factor, while the academic culture prioritizing productivity over well-being contributed to the issue. These findings underscore the need for greater support and cultural changes in academia to preserve researchers’ mental health and prevent the chronicization of mental health issues in young academics.