Who is safeguarding the mental health of university lecturers and staff?

Universities today are navigating a complex landscape, driven to produce elite graduates, enhance scientific publications, expand international collaborations, foster innovation, meet performance indicators, and adapt to artificial intelligence. Amidst these pressures to elevate higher education quality, a critical question often goes unasked: who is safeguarding the mental health of lecturers and administrative staff?

Historically, mental health attention in higher education has primarily focused on students. However, lecturers and staff are the primary drivers of all academic processes. They teach, mentor, conduct research, manage administration, develop institutions, and ensure educational activities run smoothly. When their mental health suffers, the quality of higher education itself is jeopardized.

The demands on lecturers extend far beyond the traditional Tri Dharma of Higher Education (teaching, research, community service). They must also fulfill numerous administrative requirements and performance indicators. This includes compiling workload reports (BKD), updating data in systems like SISTER, improving their SINTA track record, pursuing scientific publications, applying for research grants, participating in program accreditations, managing academic promotions, and preparing various institutional reports.

The complexity is particularly acute for faculty in medical schools. A single day might involve morning reports or patient visits at a teaching hospital, followed by lectures, problem-based learning discussions, supervising practical sessions and clinical skills labs, bedside teaching with medical students, mentoring residents, outpatient services, academic meetings, and then, in the evening, revising scientific articles, preparing grant proposals, completing BKD, updating SISTER, and organizing documents for academic promotion. This relentless cycle of educator, researcher, community servant, and clinician leaves little room for respite.