Predictors of mental health among male university employees during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic forced university staff to change their work practices. This has had an impact on their work performance and has caused various stresses. Until now, little attention has been paid to males working in this type of educational institution. In this study, we sought to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on males working in educational institutions. Methods: A quantitative study with three phases of data collection was conducted at eleven Canadian universities. Between 264 and 371 males completed an online questionnaire with validated tests to measure their level of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress. Results: During the first year of the pandemic, anxiety and depression scale scores increased while post-traumatic stress scores decreased. This study also revealed that the feelings and meanings that males gave to the pandemic played a very important role in their mental health. Conclusions: University administrations should not underestimate the suffering that male employees may experience during a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic.