How does faculty stress and health affect their research motivation and productivity?

• Lower stress levels enhance autonomy and competence in STEM faculty. • Mental health indirectly strengthens research productivity via motivation. • Days missed mediates physical health and productivity outcomes. University faculty often contend with intense workloads, leading to considerable stress and diminished well-being. The impact of these demanding factors on faculty research motivation and research productivity requires further investigation. There is a gap in current research of knowing the relationship between faculty stress, health, motivations, and research productivity. This study recruited 651 US STEM faculty members to complete an online survey rooted in self-determination theory aimed to investigate the relationships between STEM faculty stress and health with their motivation for research and, in turn, their research productivity. Findings indicate that lower stress levels and improved mental health correlate with enhanced feelings of autonomy and competence. The result of factor analysis and Structural equation modeling suggested that higher levels of autonomous motivation and decreased introjected motivation, thereby significantly enhancing research productivity. Further analysis suggests that autonomy, mediated through increased autonomous motivation, indirectly strengthens the connection between mental health and research achievements. These insights prompt discussions on the pivotal role of mental health in shaping faculty members' motivation and success in research. The results of this study can inform higher education policymakers in designing and implementing strategies to enhance faculty research productivity through targeted support for mental and physical health.