Online Learning and Mental Well-Being of Academic Staff in Kenyan Universities: Exploring Stress, Workload, Work-Life Balance, and Demographic Variations

This qualitative research study explores the impact of remote or online learning on the mental well-being of academic staff in Kenyan universities. The study addresses the deterioration of mental well-being among these professionals due to the introduction of online learning models. The research paper highlights key problems faced by academic staff, including increased stress levels, workload, and work-life balance issues, which are exacerbated by the radical shift to remote teaching that gained considerable attention during and after the Coronavirus Pandemic. The study involved 15 academic staff members drawn from both private and public universities and utilized questionnaires to collect data that was analysed through thematic analysis. The findings disclosed a split among respondents regarding being overwhelmed by demands of online teaching. In this study, 53.3% affirmed that they felt overwhelmed due to increased online time, technical issues, and slow internet. The outcomes also showed that academic staff members reported considerable mental health issues due to online teaching. Accordingly, 66.7% revealed that increased workload adversely affected their mental wellness, citing multiple stressors, including large class sizes, tight deadlines, and technical issues. Significantly, 80% of these respondents reported experiencing burnout due to excessive academic responsibilities, comprising constant availability to students and administrative burdens. Apart from this, work-life balance also emerged as a crucial concern, with 76.9% of the respondents disclosing that work commitments often interfered with their typical daily and personal activities. The shift to online learning has blurred the lines between personal and professional time, leading to academic staff working late into the night and during weekends. Based on the explained findings, this research study makes multiple recommendations, implementing comprehensive support systems for online teaching, introducing mental health and well-being programs for academic staff, creating clear work-life balance policies, and providing targeted support for different demographic groups. Furthermore, the study emphasises the need for Kenyan universities to recognize the mental health and wellness of their academic staff and understand how this plays a role in their long-term success.