Abstract

Scholarly work and research are globally known as stressful and challenging. Teachers may develop different psychological health problems once they are exposed to workplace stressors. Considering it as a serious issue of education sector, this study has examined the linkages between prevalent workplace stressors and psychological health problems in Pakistan’s academia. A cross-section quantitative research design was adopted, whereas data was collected by self-administered questionnaire from a sample of 1189 teachers working within 12 universities of Pakistan. Descriptive statistics were used for analysis of demographic data; Chi-square tests were performed to compare psychological health problems with socio-demographic characteristics, whereas Multivariate Logistic Regression Analysis was run to know the relationship between prevalent work stressors and psychological health problems. Results show that the majority of respondents were male (63.8%), unmarried (58.5%), 25 to 40 years old (78.5%) and working as Lecturers or Assistant Professors (77%), thus their average job experience was 05 to 10 years. Psychological health problems were prevailing more among male, unmarried, less experienced and junior teachers. Such socio-demographic characteristics were potential risk factors for psychological health problems. Furthermore, respondents exposed to work stressors like workload, interpersonal and emotional demands were more likely to develop psychological health problems. Findings of the current study will develop awareness among teachers concerning work stress and psychological health. Such findings can be utilized by policy makers of Pakistan for devising policies about occupational health & safety of teachers. The prevalence of psychological health problems in academia of Pakistan is a recognized workplace issue. Therefore, it needs immediate corrective measures at individual and institutional levels.

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