University lecturers’ perceived stress and self-rated health during COVID-19

1 Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly influenced all aspects of life, particularly in the realm of education [1]. While most workers have either been placed on work suspension or shifted to remote work arrangements, teachers have also grappled with the challenges of long-term school closures [2, 3]. In Vietnam, in-person classes were shuttered since February 2020 and were nationally reinstated in January 2022 [4]. As classes and lectures transitioned from in-person to virtual and now back to physical settings within “the new normal”, this transformation has the potential to present unprecedented challenges to the education system at large, particularly to university lecturers [5].

E-learning represents a relatively new concept in Vietnam’s higher education system, primarily operating within the universities’ premises [6, 7]. Before the pandemic, Vietnam’s universities had been integrating technology mostly through facilities at premises such as smart learning rooms or smart libraries. Main mode of teaching and examination was still in-person, with some exception of online exams taken on campus [8]. During the pandemic, the responsibility for adapting to the shift in teaching methods was placed squarely on individual lecturers, who had to navigate these changes within their own homes, potentially adding stressors to their teaching abilities and daily life [5]. At the same time, online curricula and examinations also require more preparation and adaptability. Lecturers are expected to be flexible to ensure learning and teaching activities in a virtual environment, and maintain the teaching quality for all their students [9, 10]. Previous works have surveyed students’ responses to the new e-learning environment in Vietnam [11, 12], but few had examined the extra burden imposed by the pandemic and resultant changes in the working environment that may lead to stress or other health problems among educators [13–15].

Workplace safety is also a potential stressor as universities resume physical classes [16, 17]. Universities host students from different regions of the country, which introduce a higher risk of infection into the classroom, affecting both students and lecturers once in-person teaching resumes. Extra workload required to maintain teaching quality while adhering to infection prevention guidelines placed significant pressure and burden on lecturers [18, 19]. In addition, the pervasive fear and uncertainty of the pandemic may have adverse effects on lecturers’ well-being [20], as well as their concerns for the health of their family and colleagues [21]. Social isolation and absence of connections with their workplace, colleagues, and students have been confirmed as major stressors impacting mental well-being during the pandemic [22–24].

Similar to the general population, university lecturers have been adversely impacted by COVID-19. Nonetheless, research examining lecturers’ perceptions of their well-being and the pandemic’s impacts on their physical and occupational health remains limited, particularly with the return of in-person teaching. We hypothesize that changes in teaching methods and working conditions due to the COVID-19 pandemic may have a negative impact on lecturers’ mental and physical health, especially their occupational health. Therefore, this study aims to assess university lecturers’ perceived stress levels, physical and occupational health, and the associated factors. The findings could inform appropriate interventions designed to improve lectures’ overall physical and mental health, and ensure workplace safety for the prolonged future of the pandemic.

2 Method

3 Results

To the best of our knowledge, this is one of the few studies aimed to quantify the impact of COVID-19-related factors on the physical, mental, and occupational health of university lecturers. We found a substantial proportion of participants experienced moderate levels of stress, with nearly half of the participants reporting deteriorated physical and occupational health compared to their pre-pandemic states. Our findings indicated that factors such as COVID-19 infection, intensified workload, a diminished sense of workplace safety, and dissatisfaction with COVID-19 incentives were identified as risk factors associated with higher stress levels and poorer health conditions among university lecturers.

Our findings indicated that stress levels among lecturers were lower than those reported in previous studies among the general population and healthcare workers in Vietnam during the peak of COVID-19 [30–32]. Additionally, working from home did not have significant association with lecturers’ health, which contrasts with findings from other studies [33, 34]. However, these disparities may be attributed to the different timing of the survey. COVID-19 was less uncertain and threatening in early 2022 compared to previous years, which likely contributed to lower levels of emotional distress once the pandemic was under control [35]. By the time of our survey, lecturers in Vietnam had been working from home for almost two years, this prolonged duration may have diminished the strength of the association. On the other hand, a similar proportion of teachers reporting moderate stress levels was reported in the Philippines, Poland, and Bangladesh, all of which conducted surveys during the second wave of COVID-19 [15, 36]. These findings collectively underscore the noteworthy prevalence of mental health challenges faced by educators during the pandemic time.

Our findings showed that gender, specifically being female, and older age were associated with poorer mental and physical health among university lecturers. Gender differences in psychological and physical impacts of COVID-19 were similarly observed in previous studies among educators [36–38]. This discrepancy has been attributed to possible higher domestic responsibilities often expected of women, particularly given the extra burdens from remote work and caring for children during social distancing periods [39, 40]. Conversely, older age also had a negative association with stress levels, potentially attributable to the heightened vulnerability of older individuals to more severe COVID-19 infections [41]. Higher stress levels observed among older lecturers may also stem from the sudden requirement for senior lecturers to quickly adapt to remote teaching models and technology uses [42]. Even though some studies have shown that younger teachers experienced poorer well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic [13, 37], we suspected this may be more closely linked to their contractual employment conditions. Temporary or short-term contracts have been associated with negative impact on employees’ health [13, 43]. However, we only included full-time employed lecturers in our analysis, which could account for the differences in our findings.

Additionally, our study found that lecturers employed at private universities scored significantly higher stress scores than their public-sector counterparts. This finding diverges from previous research, which indicated that teachers at private schools were less likely to suffer mental problems, often attributed to better organization system and supporting facilities [44, 45]. However, it is important to note that in the context of Vietnam, private universities do not receive financial support from the government, which potentially subjects them to certain pressure in competing with public universities for students and funding [46, 47]. The economic repercussions of the pandemic further exacerbated this situation. With the national economy facing challenges, students and parents who experienced financial strains would be inclined to choose public universities (heavily subsidized by the government). Consequently, our study also noted that lecturers who earned lower income were more likely to experience higher stress levels and a decline in their physical and occupational health due to the pandemic. This finding aligns with previous studies, which often highlighted the negative economic growth and financial insecurity as challenges impacting occupational health and mental well-being among teachers during COVID-19 [48–50]. The increased teaching demands due to the pandemic, coupled with financial constraints, can render teachers and lecturers with lower-socioeconomic status more vulnerable to psychological and physical distress [51].

Stress levels and perceived health among university lecturers during the COVID-19 pandemic exhibited a strong association with their working conditions, particularly in terms of poor working safety and increased workloads. These findings align with previous research that consistently linked job-related changes due to COVID-19 and elevated stress level [36, 52–54]. Ozamiz et al. cited that elevated psychological responses were related to anxiety regarding safety and job stability, especially as in-person teaching resumes [52]. For teachers, abrupt changes in the working environment, coupled with general anxiety surrounding a global pandemic, were risk factors for poorer occupational health. Muller et al. similarly highlighted elevated psychological distress and poorer self-rated health among the labor workforce during COVID-19, given the dual challenge of maintaining economically sustainable while staying COVID-19-free [55].

Remarkably, in our study, COVID-19 infection was significantly associated with reported declines in both occupational and mental health among lecturers. This was not extensively explored in previous studies among teachers, despite the growing number of infections globally. It is essential to recognize that individuals who have contracted COVID-19 may be at higher risk of experiencing poorer health and worsened work performance, given the frequent reporting of long COVID-19 symptoms [56, 57]. However, it is worth noting that a considerable percentage of lecturers in our study expressed dissatisfaction or reported not receiving any COVID-19 incentives or support from their workplace. Considering the prolonged future of the pandemic, education institutions should proactively acknowledge and address health needs of faculty members who have contracted COVID-19, which is crucial to sustain their well-being and overall work performance.

Even when compared to studies conducted during the pandemic, our study still revealed a comparable proportion of lecturers grappling with mental and occupational health challenges, reflecting an ongoing concern about returning to in-person teaching. It is evident that factors such as gender, age, and the evolving work conditions significantly impacted the lecturers’ well-being. Therefore, interventions focusing on occupational health and safety during the pandemic should be tailored to specific needs of lecturers and educators, considering gender and seniority [36]. In Vietnam, psychological healthcare services are not as readily accessible as general clinical care, both in a broader healthcare context and within workplace environments [58]. In light of a pandemic, educational institutions must adapt and provide suitable services to assist educators in navigating their professional responsibilities and maintaining work-life balance in these difficult times [59]. Creating a sense of coherence and safety in the workplace through flexible work arrangement can help workers both perform and cope better in uncertain times of the pandemic [44]. Providing open communications and and psychological services for COVID-19 are also highly recommended to help lecturers prepare and manage workplace changes during the pandemic [60].

We acknowledge some limitations to our study. As a cross-sectional study, although we incorporated a comparative element between periods during and before the pandemic, a direct causal relationship cannot be inferred from our result. Next, behavioral confounding factors, including personal lifestyle, disparity in teaching areas, and working conditions at different universities that might impact the lecturers’ work experience (e.g., internet access), were not included in this study, which potentially impacts the generalizability of our findings. Furthermore, our study had a relatively modest sample size, thus it is necessary to be cautious when extrapolating the results to the general population. However, our sample closely resembled the demographic composition of Vietnamese lecturers (46% female, 46% holding master’s degrees, 12% holding doctoral degrees, and 80% from public universities) [61]. Our study, despite these limitations, can provide timely evidence highlighting the negative impact of COVID-19 and COVID-19-related workplace conditions in educational settings. This evidence can inform the development of suitable policies to improve mental and occupational health for university lecturers and educators in general. We recommend further study to investigate the impact of observed stress and distress of the lectures and the quality of education provided, and whether it affects student outcomes. Qualitative studies are also suggested to gain a deeper understanding of specific stressors and workplace challenges faced by lecturers during the pandemic.

5 Conclusion

Our findings showed that the teaching profession, already impacted by the pandemic, has been experiencing additional health distress. Its impact is not limited their health, but also their professional capabilities as educators. The findings underscore the pivotal role of changes in workplace environment and the persistent threat of COVID-19 infection as contributing factors to the well-being of lecturers. As in-person teaching resumes its normal course, it is imperative for educational institutions to consider implementing suitable interventions to ensure workplace safety and psychological well-being. These measures are essential to safeguard the well-being of educators and maintaining the continuous delivery of quality education.

Ethical approval

This study was approved by the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor and Trade Union University’s Internal Review Board under Decision No. 693/QD-DHCD. All participants gave anonymous consent for the data to be used only for research purposes. In the consent form, all participants were informed of the research purpose, confidentiality, and the data privacy statement. No incentive was provided, and no personal data was collected.

Informed consent

Informed consent and an information sheet were provided at the first page of the survey. Participants provided consent voluntarily before entering the online survey and were recorded on the survey dataset. Unidentifiable data can be retrieved from the corresponding author under approval from approved internal review board.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.