IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i11p8545-d1154999.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Mental Health and Coping Strategies among University Staff during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross–Sectional Analysis from Saudi Arabia

Author

Listed:
  • Tauqeer Hussain Mallhi

    (Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Jouf University, Sakaka 72388, Saudi Arabia)

  • Nimra Aslam Khan

    (Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, CMH Lahore Medical and Dental College, Lahore 54000, Pakistan)

  • Amina Siddique

    (Department of Medicine, Rawalpindi Medical University, Rawalpindi 46000, Pakistan)

  • Muhammad Salman

    (Institute of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical and Allied Health Sciences, Lahore College for Women University, Lahore 54000, Pakistan)

  • Syed Nasir Abbas Bukhari

    (Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Jouf University, Sakaka 72388, Saudi Arabia)

  • Muhammad Hammad Butt

    (Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Uppsala University, 75123 Uppsala, Sweden)

  • Faiz Ullah Khan

    (Department of Pharmacy Administration and Clinical Pharmacy, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, China)

  • Mohammad Khalid

    (Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj 11942, Saudi Arabia)

  • Zia Ul Mustafa

    (Discipline of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang 11800, Malaysia
    Department of Pharmacy Services, District Headquarter (DHQ) Hospital, Pakpattan 57400, Pakistan)

  • Nida Tanveer

    (Institute of Molecular Cardiology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA)

  • Naveed Ahmad

    (Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Jouf University, Sakaka 72388, Saudi Arabia)

  • Muhammad Masood Ahmad

    (Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Jouf University, Sakaka 72388, Saudi Arabia)

  • Hidayat Ur Rahman

    (Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Jouf University, Sakaka 72388, Saudi Arabia)

  • Yusra Habib Khan

    (Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Jouf University, Sakaka 72388, Saudi Arabia)

Abstract

This study examined psychological health and coping strategies among faculty and staff at a Saudi Arabian university. A web-based self-administered survey was used to assess probable anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and coping strategies by using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), and Brief-COPE scale, respectively. Of 502 participants (mean age 36.04 ± 10.32 years, male: 66.3%), 24.1% (GAD-7 ≥ 10) had probable anxiety. Anxiety score was significantly higher in females ( p < 0.001), those with a history of COVID-19 infection ( p = 0.036), and participants with less work experience ( p = 0.019). Approximately 40% of participants met the criteria of probable depression, with females ( p < 0.001) and participants with less experience having more depressive symptoms. Around one-fourth (27.7%) of study participants indicated probable PTSD (score ≥ 33), with higher symptoms in females ( p <0.001), less experienced staff ( p < 0.001), and academic staff ( p = 0.006). Correlation analysis indicated a significant positive correlation between anxiety and depression (r = 0.844, p < 0.001), anxiety and PTSD (r = 0.650, p < 0.001), and depression and PTSD (r = 0.676, p < 0.001). Active coping, religious/spiritual coping, and acceptance were common coping strategies, while substance use was the least adopted coping method among the study participants. This study indicated a high prevalence of probable psychological ailments among university staff.

Suggested Citation

  • Tauqeer Hussain Mallhi & Nimra Aslam Khan & Amina Siddique & Muhammad Salman & Syed Nasir Abbas Bukhari & Muhammad Hammad Butt & Faiz Ullah Khan & Mohammad Khalid & Zia Ul Mustafa & Nida Tanveer & Nav, 2023. "Mental Health and Coping Strategies among University Staff during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross–Sectional Analysis from Saudi Arabia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-21, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:11:p:8545-:d:1154999
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/11/8545/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/11/8545/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Carla Miguel & Luísa Castro & José Paulo Marques dos Santos & Carla Serrão & Ivone Duarte, 2021. "Impact of COVID-19 on Medicine Lecturers’ Mental Health and Emergency Remote Teaching Challenges," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(13), pages 1-18, June.
    2. Tauqeer Hussain Mallhi & Naveed Ahmad & Muhammad Salman & Nida Tanveer & Shahid Shah & Muhammad Hammad Butt & Ahmed D. Alatawi & Nasser Hadal Alotaibi & Hidayat Ur Rahman & Abdulaziz Ibrahim Alzarea &, 2022. "Estimation of Psychological Impairment and Coping Strategies during COVID-19 Pandemic among University Students in Saudi Arabia: A Large Regional Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-16, November.
    3. Belinda Agyapong & Gloria Obuobi-Donkor & Lisa Burback & Yifeng Wei, 2022. "Stress, Burnout, Anxiety and Depression among Teachers: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(17), pages 1-42, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Barnabás Oláh & Bence Márk Rádi & Karolina Kósa, 2022. "Barriers to Seeking Mental Help and Interventions to Remove Them in Medical School during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Perspectives of Students," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-18, June.
    2. Beatrice Thielmann & Håvard Rudi Karlsen & Myroslav Tymbota & Valeriy Kapustnyk & Nathalie Zavgorodnia & Igor Zavgorodnii & Irina Böckelmann, 2021. "Mental Health and Work-Related Behaviors in Management of Work Requirements of University Lecturers in Ukraine—An Age Group Comparison," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(20), pages 1-11, October.
    3. Lev S. Mazelis & Kirill I. Lavrenyuk & Gleb V. Grenkin, 2023. "Analysis of the Relation Between Expectation of Employees from Corporate Environment and their Burnout," Journal of Applied Economic Research, Graduate School of Economics and Management, Ural Federal University, vol. 22(4), pages 1034-1055.
    4. Naiara Ozamiz-Etxebarria & Idoia Legorburu Fernnadez & Darren M. Lipnicki & Nahia Idoiaga Mondragon & Javier Santabárbara, 2023. "Prevalence of Burnout among Teachers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Meta-Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(6), pages 1-13, March.
    5. Ebrahim Navid Sadjadi, 2023. "Challenges and Opportunities for Education Systems with the Current Movement toward Digitalization at the Time of COVID-19," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-14, January.
    6. Ivone Duarte & Ana Alves & Ana Coelho & Ana Ferreira & Beatriz Cabral & Bebiana Silva & João Peralta & Juliana Silva & Pedro Domingues & Pedro Nunes & Carla Serrão & Cristina Santos, 2022. "The Mediating Role of Resilience and Life Satisfaction in the Relationship between Stress and Burnout in Medical Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(5), pages 1-13, February.
    7. Barnabás Oláh & Ildikó Kuritárné Szabó & Karolina Kósa, 2022. "Transfer of Mental Health Services for Medical Students to Cyberspace during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Service Use and Students’ Preferences for Psychological Self-Help Techniques," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-10, October.
    8. Iago Sávyo Duarte Santiago & Emanuelle Pereira dos Santos & José Arinelson da Silva & Yuri de Sousa Cavalcante & Jucier Gonçalves Júnior & Angélica Rodrigues de Souza Costa & Estelita Lima Cândido, 2023. "The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Mental Health of Teachers and Its Possible Risk Factors: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-30, January.
    9. Jerome Flores & Alejandra Caqueo-Urízar & Michael Escobar & Matías Irarrázaval, 2022. "Well-Being and Mental Health in Teachers: The Life Impact of COVID-19," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-12, November.
    10. Francisco Sánchez-Narváez & Juan Jesús Velasco-Orozco & Eduardo Pérez-Archundia, 2023. "Burnout Syndrome and Sleep Quality in Basic Education Teachers in Mexico," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(13), pages 1-21, July.
    11. Petra Lücker & Anika Kästner & Arne Hannich & Lena Schmeyers & Janny Lücker & Wolfgang Hoffmann, 2022. "Stress, Coping and Considerations of Leaving the Profession—A Cross-Sectional Online Survey of Teachers and School Principals after Two Years of the Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-17, December.
    12. Belinda Agyapong & Pamela Brett-MacLean & Lisa Burback & Vincent Israel Opoku Agyapong & Yifeng Wei, 2023. "Interventions to Reduce Stress and Burnout among Teachers: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(9), pages 1-22, April.
    13. Preeta Hinduja & Razia Fakir Mohammad & Sohni Siddiqui & Shahnaz Noor & Altaf Hussain, 2023. "Sustainability in Higher Education Institutions in Pakistan: A Systematic Review of Progress and Challenges," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-19, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:11:p:8545-:d:1154999. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.