Working in academia : predictors of psychological distress in Australian academics

The Australian higher education sector has experienced widespread organisational change over the last 25 years and this is directly impacting the psychological wellbeing of academic staff. This study aimed to explore the unique work and individual factors that predict psychological distress in academia to support tailored organisational interventions. Academics (N = 278) from 43 Australian higher education providers completed online measures that considered their overall level of psychological distress and associated work (job insecurity, work-family balance, job satisfaction, and managerial support) and individual factors (psychological needs, psychological capital, intolerance of uncertainty). Multiple regression analysis revealed that these work and individual factors explained 44.3% of the variance in psychological distress. To extend on the exploratory analysis, Hierarchical Regression revealed that individual factors accounted for a significant 37.4% of variance in psychological distress. Work-related factors accounted for a further 6.9% of unique variance. A moderation analysis was completed to prioritise interventions and revealed that psychological capital did not moderate the relationship between intolerance of uncertainty and psychological distress. Overall, interventions to improve workplace mental health and wellbeing in academics need to consider the intersection of unique individual and organisational factors. Specific interventions are identified and discussed.