Work Stress, Psychological Morbidity and Coping Strategies Deployed by University Lecturers in Lagos, Nigeria

Purpose of Study: University lecturers were observed to be exposed to various degrees of occupational stress that could make them vulnerable to developing psychological morbidity. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of work-related distress, psychological morbidity, and coping mechanisms among the academic staff of a university in Lagos, Nigeria. Methods: A multistage sampling technique was used to recruit four hundred and five lecturers from the Lagos State University, Lagos, Nigeria, in this descriptive and cross-sectional study. The participants completed the work stress questionnaire, the general health questionnaire-28, and the Brief COPE psychometric instruments. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to describe the data. Results: The prevalence of work-related stress was 22.6%, 13.5%, 34%, and 37.1%, respectively, regarding influence at work, indistinct organization and conflicts, individual demands and commitments, and work to leisure time. Only 11.6% of them manifested psychological morbidity. Most of the participants deployed an emotional focused coping mechanism of 26.9±6.0, followed by problem-focused coping at 21.5±6.0, while the avoidant coping strategy at 13.0±3.2 was least adopted. Conclusions: University lecturers were observed to experience high work stress, which may negatively impact their physical and mental health. The university management authorities should develop psycho- ducational programmes on work-life balance for lecturers and psychological interventions for those who might have already experienced high psychological distress, burnout, anxiety, and depression.