Examining staff and faculty work–life balance and well-being using the dual continua model of mental health during COVID-19

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic created work–life balance, mental health, and well-being challenges for higher education employees, both initially and years later. We investigated staff and faculty self-reported work–life balance and quality of life using the dual continua model of mental health at a medium-size university for 9 months during August 2021 to April 2022. The dual continua model of mental health states that high levels of well-being and psychological distress can co-occur, while a unidimensional model of mental health positions well-being and psychological distress on opposite ends of a unipolar continuum. The dual continua model overlaps with and is broader than the unidimensional model. Based on 299 responses, four groups of staff and faculty (high and low anxiety crossed with high and low life satisfaction) were formed. Consistent with the dual continua and inconsistent with the unidimensional model of mental health, high life satisfaction, regardless of anxiety level, was associated with higher levels of quality of life and work–life balance. Consistent with both the unidimensional and dual continua models, within faculty and staff reporting lower levels of life satisfaction, higher levels of anxiety were associated with lower quality of life and work-life balance. In addition, within the high or low anxious groups, higher life satisfaction was associated with lower levels of depression. Present data represent the only study that builds on previous literature in examining well-being and psychological distress using a dual continua model in staff and faculty at a mid-size university. Overall, present results suggest the dual continua model of mental health better characterizes the relationship of well-being and psychological distress in staff and faculty in a higher education setting than a unidimensional model