Longitudinal Associations Between COVID-19 Stress and Mental Health Symptoms Among University Faculty and Staff in Canada

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the academic work environment. Studies have documented cross-sectional associations between COVID-related stress and mental health symptoms in university faculty and staff. However, longitudinal studies that can establish temporal associations are needed. Further, it is important to determine if relations to mental health symptoms are driven by worries about COVID-19 (i.e., perceptions of stress) or actual impacts of COVID-19 across domains of health, job, and relationships. The present study included 100 faculty and 265 staff at a medium-sized Canadian University who completed an adapted version of the electronic U-Flourish well-being survey at two time points (October, 2020 and March, 2021). Cross-lagged panel modeling provided evidence that levels of COVID-19 worries and COVID-19 impacts at baseline significantly positively predicted follow-up levels of anxiety over and above baseline levels. Further, baseline levels of anxiety were positively associated with follow-up levels of COVID-19 worries, but not with follow-up COVID-19 impacts. In contrast, none of the cross-lagged associations with depressive symptoms were significant. We suggest from these results that post-COVID-19 mental health recovery can be promoted by academic leadership in two main ways. First, reducing the impact of COVID-19 on anxiety could be achieved through strategies that enhance individuals’ sense of control and predictability in their environment, including clear, consistent, and consolidated communication. Second, reducing worry about COVID-19 for faculty and staff with preexisting mental health symptoms might be achieved by broadening access to mental health support.