text: ReMeHealP: REsearcher MEntal health Promotion
  Inventory of services protecting mental health in academia and researchers’ awareness on their availability and utility
  Name | Country code |
  Switzerland | CHE |
  Objective: To make an inventory of available occupational health services (OHS) in European high education institutions (HEI) and assess the researchers’ awareness regarding their availability, accessibility, and usefulness.
  Methods: The protocol sequentially combining a mapping study of OHS in a country- and HEI-specific manner and face-to-face semi-structured interviews with researchers from considered HEI was tested and validated in Switzerland. Results of thematic analysis of qualitative data using in MAXQDA software were triangulated with OSH inventory data.
  Results: OSH available in 14 Swiss HEI were inventoried along with their type, content, and access conditions. On average, OHS at HEIs generally offer basic medical consultations, mental health counselling, and legal advice counselling. However, access to these services can vary according to the user’s status, often favoring students compared to HEI staff. In addition, the conditions and quality of OHS can vary between institutions, leading to inequalities in accessibility and the level of support offered. At one medical HEI, twelve out of 40 randomly selected researchers participated in the interviews. Time pressure and work overload were the most cited sources of stress, followed by communication issues. A desire for more open dialogue with managers regarding researchers’ concerns and needs, and for more supportive and trustful environment, especially when facing psychological distress was also common. This HEI provides 4 types of OHS, but less than half participants could name the services and even fewer could give more details about them. Participants expressed low interest and lack of confidence in the existing OHS. A unanimous refusal of interview recording underscored that mental health protection and promotion within academia is a sensitive topic.
  Conclusion: The interviewed researchers lack awareness regarding available OHS protecting and promoting mental health. Despite a limited knowledge on available services, most have confidentiality-related concerns preventing their interest in inner-HEI provided services. External psychological help services appear more trustful and potentially more useful. Yet, access inequality might be a barrier for their use.
  Quantitative and Qualitative data
  • Quantitative data : Inventory data of high education institutions (HEI)- mapping of occupational health services available at 14 Swiss HEIs
  • Qualitative data: individual stress and burnout prevention-current situation, OH service at the institution, Stres & burnout prevention – needs and improvement ideas