MENTAL HEALTH IN ACADEMIA: The challenges faculty face predate the pandemic and require systemic solutions

Bourgeault et al discuss their study on the challenges university faculty face predate the pandemic, which require systemic solutions. In 2018, their Healthy Professional Worker Partnership brought together an interdisciplinary team of researchers and community partners from across Canada to examine the relationship among mental health, leaves of absence, and return to work. They studied the impacts across seven professions, including university faculty. In their survey, almost two-thirds of academics reported experiencing mental health issues, such as anxiety, psychological distress, depression, and burnout, at some point in their career. They suggest that academic flexibility in terms of their working hours and ability to work remotely when not teaching may provide individuals with a mechanism for managing their mental health - though not always well.