The impact of job demands on depression among academicians in Malaysia: A cross-sectional analysis

Abstract

Recent research has highlighted a troubling trend: depression is on the rise among those in academia. Yet there is still a significant lack of in-depth studies that focus specifically on how depression impacts academicians and their overall mental health. This study sets out to explore the link between the well-being of academics and depression, using the job demands–resources (JD–R) model as a foundation. This model emphasizes various pressures related to workload, role conflict and work-family conflict, and how they affect mental health, particularly in terms of depression. This study gathered data from 135 academicians at public higher education institutions in Malaysia, chosen through purposive sampling. For the analysis, this study utilized the Depression Scales from DASS-21 along with other well-established questionnaires. The data were analysed using Structural Equation Modeling–Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS 4.0). The findings showed a significant connection between workload and depression (β = 0.205, p < 0.00), role conflict and depression (β = 0.311, p < 0.00), and work-family conflict and depression (β = 0.266, p < 0.00). Overall, the results suggest that the pressures faced by academics are associated with increased rates of depression and a decline in their mental well-being.