Impact of Transition to Online Teaching on the Work-Life Balance and Mental Health of Lecturers in a Medical University

Introduction:The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 resulted in a complete lockdown of educational institutions in Malaysia necessitating an immediate shift from conventional face-to-face teaching to online teaching-learning (OTL).This invariably affected the work-life balance and mental health of medical lecturers.This study was done to assess the adequacy of training of lecturers to conduct OTL and the challenges faced, and the impact of transitioning to OTL on the work-life balance and mental health of medical lecturers.The mental health status of lecturers was compared according to age categories of Gen-X, Gen-Y and Baby Boomer (BB) generations.Methods: An online survey was conducted between August and October 2021.Participants were asked to answer a series of questions designed to assess adequacy of training received, impact on work life balance, and score themselves with validated scoring tools to assess for anxiety, depression, and stress levels.Results: A total of 179 lecturers participated in the study.Training for OTL was deemed to be adequate and prepared the lecturers well for OTL.The transition to OTL negatively disrupted work-life balance causing extra work hours, disruption to family life, sleep issues, exhaustion, and stress but were positive in many other aspects.Gen-X and Gen-Y lecturers had higher perceived stress compared to BB. Conclusions: Transitioning to online teaching during COVID-19 pandemic impacted work-life balance positively and negatively.Moderate to high perceived stress were reported, especially among younger lecturers.Training to equip lecturers to conduct online teaching and support for mental health and wellbeing should be provided.