Occupational Psychosocial Risks and Mental Health in University Teachers: Empirical Evidence with a Gender Perspective from the Karasek and Butler Models

de Fortoul S.A.; Acevedo-Duque Á.; Verges I.; Cachicatari-Vargas E. · Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems (2026) · DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-99702-0_18

Resumen

Mental health in the workplace is a topic of great importance today, as it can affect the quality of life and performance of workers. In the university environment, female teachers face specific challenges that can affect their occupational health, represented by unstable working conditions and social and cultural barriers associated with gender that trigger effects such as stress, anxiety, and depression. In this sense, it is essential to determine the occupational psychosocial risks associated with gender in university professors. To this end, the study was based on Karasek’s (Adm Sci Q 24:285–308, 1979) model of occupational health effects and Butler’s (Gender trouble: feminism and the subversion of identity, Routledge, New York, 1990) gender perception. The methodology was guided by the structured hermeneutical analysis route, applying semi-structured interviews and focus groups, selecting units of analysis according to their relevance and suitability in university teaching, whose analysis allowed obtaining relevant information with the dimensions of study. Among the results obtained, a high level of psychological demands are reported, due to work overload, translating into an increase in work stress and effects on the mental health of these professionals, it is also confirmed that university professors experience high levels of anxiety and stress, aggravated by the combination of work demands, coupled with sociocultural expectations about gender roles. To this end, inclusive policies that promote non-discrimination are recommended, so that women in their professional role achieve a work/personal life balance and adequate stress management. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2026.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional Jorge Basadre Grohmann