Socioeconomic inequalities in mental health and well-being among higher education staff during COVID-19: The role of policymakers and psychological needs.

• Autores: Isla Dougall, Milica Vasiljevic, Maja Kutlaca, Mario Weick
• Localización: International Journal of Social Psychology, Revista de Psicología Social, ISSN-e 1579-3680, ISSN 0213-4748, Vol. 41, Nº 2, 2026, págs. 263-297
• Idioma: inglés
• DOI: 10.1177/02134748261429464
• Títulos paralelos:
  • Desigualdades socioeconómicas en la salud mental y el bienestar del personal de educación superior durante la COVID-19: El papel de los responsables políticos y las necesidades psicológicas.
• Enlaces
  • Texto completo
• Resumen
  • español

    El personal de educación superior (ES) experimenta algunos de los peores niveles de salud mental y bienestar entre los grupos ocupacionales, con niveles particularmente bajos reportados entre el personal de niveles socioeconómicos (NSE) más bajos. Combinando la teoría de las necesidades y la teoría de los sistemas ecológicos, investigamos cómo las percepciones de los responsables políticos pueden haber contribuido a las desigualdades en salud mental entre los trabajadores de educación superior en el Reino Unido durante la pandemia de la COVID-19. Una encuesta realizada al personal de educación superior del Reino Unido (n = 1,116) de 92 universidades durante una orden de ‘quedarse en casa’ encontró que un NSE subjetivo más bajo estaba vinculado con una peor salud mental y bienestar, y con la percepción de que los responsables políticos estaban desconectados (inclusión percibida) y no valoraban (valoración percibida) al personal universitario. Un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales indicó que estas percepciones de los responsables políticos mediaron la relación entre el NSE subjetivo y la salud mental y el bienestar. Un mayor control percibido de los responsables políticos también se asoció con una peor salud mental y bienestar, aunque inesperadamente este efecto no estaba vinculado al NSE subjetivo. Estos hallazgos sugieren que las percepciones de los responsables políticos pueden empeorar las desigualdades socioeconómicas en materia de salud mental y bienestar a través de necesidades psicológicas no satisfechas.

  • English

    Higher education (HE) staff experience some of the poorest mental health and well-being across occupational groups, with particularly low levels reported among staff from lower socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds. Combining Needs Theory and Ecological Systems Theory, we investigate how perceptions of policymakers may have contributed to mental health inequalities among HE workers in the United Kingdom (UK) during the COVID-19 pandemic. A survey of UK HE staff (n = 1,116) from 92 universities during a ‘stay at home’ order found that lower subjective SES was linked to poorer mental health and well-being, and to the perception that policymakers were disconnected (perceived inclusion) and did not value (perceived worth) university staff. A structural equation model indicated that these perceptions of policymakers mediated the relationship between subjective SES and mental health and well-being. Greater perceived control by policymakers was also associated with poorer mental health and well-being, though unexpectedly, this effect was not linked to subjective SES. These findings suggest that perceptions of policymakers may worsen socioeconomic inequalities in mental health and well-being through unmet psychological needs.

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