This article was first published in Academic Leader on February 19, 2024 © Magna Publications. All rights reserved If you are interested in reading more articles about the trends, challenges, and best practices of today’s academic decision-makers, check out a monthly or yearly subscription to Academic Leader
Before the COVID-19 Pandemic, colleges, universities, and schools were increasing their mental health services in response to the rising number of students suffering from depression, anxiety and loneliness. Suicide was also on the rise. The pandemic exacerbated these mental health problems and also made it clear that students are not the only ones experiencing mental illness or mental distress—faculty, staff, and administrators are as well, and vocally so for perhaps the first time. Because the primary mission of most institutions of higher education is to serve students, it’s easy to understand why attention to faculty and staff well-being was considered a lower priority. Human resources departments are often responsible for workplace wellness initiatives, but faculty members do not often consider themselves to be employees. They may not know about HR programs that could support their well-being or take advantage of them.
