Burnout and mental ill health rife within universities

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Depression, stress, anxiety, burnout, overwork and poor work-life balance are rife within universities, a damning report on staff wellbeing within higher education has suggested.
The report, Supporting staff wellbeing in higher education, by Education Support, surveyed 2,046 academic and academic-related staff on the psychosocial hazards they encountered in their work.
Just a third (29%) achieved scores indicating ‘average’ wellbeing, with more than half (53%) showing signs of probable depression.
Many respondents were also showing signs of burnout, with nearly a third (29%) saying they felt ‘emotionally drained’ from their work at the end of each.
More than a third (36%) said they always, or almost always, neglected their personal needs because of the demands of their work.
More than a quarter (28%) reported missing important personal activities because of the time they spent working.

More than half of those polled (59%) feared they would be seen as ‘weak’ if they sought support for their wellbeing, just over seven out of ten agreed (41%) or strongly agreed (30%) this would harm their career.
Nearly two-thirds (61%) of respondents would not approach their manager for support, as they believed they did not have the necessary skills or knowledge to help.
Alongside stigma, it was generally felt there was little information on what support was available, difficulty with access, both in terms of location and timing, and interventions that were not fit for purpose.
Academic staff on rolling, and often precarious, contracts – which have become much more common in higher education in recent years – generally reported lower levels of wellbeing, grea