Potential enablers of mental health and wellness for those teaching in tertiary education

The mental health and wellness of those teaching in Australian universities is in the spotlight. The role of teaching academics in contemporary universities is reported to be in a state of transition, moving from traditional teaching, research and management responsibilities, to more differentiated duties including management of casual staff, accreditation and administration tasks (Bennett, Roberts, Ananthram, & Broughton, 2018; Chory & Offstein, 2017). Stress of heavy workloads, performance demands with fewer resources, expansion of staff roles and expectations, higher research productivity and output expectations are the common neoliberal pressures grounded in commodification and globalising marketisation of knowledge in higher education settings (Field, 2018; Kinman & Wray, 2018). Such examples of neoliberal processes have been well documented, however, Dudau, Kominis, and Szocs (2018, p. 254) contend, although decreasing funding and resources brings pressure, it also invites opportunity for innovation and creativity and "identifying newer, more effective products or services, using technological advances more effectively, streamlining processes, and so on". Additionally, for Barnett (2018), contemporary universities are uniquely positioned to embrace possibilities and change. This positioning may encompass cultivating sustainable health-promoting cultures with a focus on promoting high levels of employee mental health and wellbeing through initiatives including enhancing mental health literacy. Therefore, this paper explores the literature in alignment to the research question, 'what are potential enablers of mental health and wellness for those teaching in tertiary education?'

International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change

International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change

4

2201-1323

N/A

3

17