Stress and Burnout among Lecturers in the Universities in Rivers State, Nigeria

This study examined the variables linked to stress and burnout in academic staff members at three universities in Rivers State: Rivers State University, Ignatius Ajuru University, and the University of Port Harcourt. Additionally, it determines whether stress and specific socio-dynamic factors of academic personnel differ significantly. Three hundred academic staff members from Rivers State University, Ignatius Ajuru University, and the University of Port Harcourt were randomly chosen to provide the data. SPSS was used to examine the data and regression statistics and chi-square procedures were used. The results showed that stress among academic staff was substantially correlated with all evaluated variables: academic workload, student-related concerns, age, teaching experience and academic rank, research and career growth, and interpersonal interactions. The findings demonstrated that there is no discernible gender difference in the stress levels of academic personnel (P>0.05). However, there was a significant difference (P<0.05) in the stress levels of academic staff members based on their marital status, age, teaching experience and academic rank. The study recommends that university administrations establish an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to provide structured counseling, stress management training, and workload balancing strategies for academic staff experiencing burnout.