Emotional State of Teachers and University Administrative Staff in the Return to Face-to-Face Mode

Abstract

Social distancing and security measures have contained the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this, the return to face-to-face activities is necessary for specific companies, and some higher education institutions have already done so. The various disorders that this new reality could generate have motivated the present study, which aims to analyze the emotional state of teachers and administrative staff. The instrument used was the abbreviated depression, anxiety, and stress scale (DASS-21), with an internal consistency index of 0.87. The methodology was based on applying a survey to 202 participants from Quito, Ecuador. The sample consisted of 97 men and 105 women aged between 23 and 59 years. A quantitative and cross-sectional design was used in this research. The results show that 40.1% of the respondents presented anxiety, 36.63% depression, and 38.61% stress between mild and highly severe categories. Additionally, when analyzing the depression, anxiety, and stress levels compared to productivity variables, we found that five disorders, i.e., fear, anxiety, over reactivity, skeletal muscle effects, and dysphoria, directly affect productivity variables, such as performing simple tasks, performing difficult tasks, the number of products made, and the number of products rejected. Thus, returning to face-to-face mode has affected the emotional state of many people, showing differences according to the job position, with anxiety being the highest self-identified incidence rate.

Mental Health of University Students When Returning to Face-to-Face Classes: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Likewise, adult students could have formally or informally developed some strategies to face the difficulties of university education, the main sources of DAE [ 30 ]. The described result was corroborated by some investigations, which also determined that age was a factor associated with the prevalence of DAE [ 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 ]. In fact, age is an important factor to consider when studying the prevalence of DAE and can be useful to identify population groups that may need particular attention in terms of prevention, diagnosis and treatment.…”

Emotional fatigue, academic engagement, and satisfaction with studies during the return to post-pandemic university attendance

“…Starting in 2022, university students began to gradually return to in-person classes (Estrada and Paricahua, 2023), adhering to biosecurity protocols (Farfán-Latorre et al, 2023). This led to experiencing critical and stressful changes (Cajachagua et al, 2023), presenting a delicate situation for student health as they had to adapt to a new post-pandemic context (Arias-Flores et al, 2022). In light of this, the aim of this research was to establish the relationship between emotional fatigue, academic engagement, and satisfaction with studies among university students in post-pandemic times.…”

“…However, these advances have not been without challenges, especially in countries with educational management constraints, where issues like device scarcity, teaching overload, and technological limitations persist, complicating the educational experience (Okoye Ifeanyi, 2023). Moreover, student mental health and well-being have surfaced as critical areas, emphasizing the need to adapt interventions and support services in a post-pandemic context (Arias-Flores et al, 2022;Imran et al, 2023). As we progress in the transition back to face-to-face teaching, it's imperative to address these challenges comprehensively, aiming to foster sustained well-being and ensure academic success in the post-COVID-19 era (Liverpool et al, 2023).…”

First validation of the technical and administrative staff quality of life at work tool (TASQ@work) in academia

“…With respect to the COVID-19 pandemic, PRIW has been conceptualized as an additional job demand for employees who continued working in presence or started working partly in presence and partly remotely during the pandemic (Guidetti et al, 2022). In addition, previous research has shown that a return to work in presence was associated with negative emotional states among TAS (Arias-Flores et al, 2022).…”