Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression within the UNiversity community: the cross-sectional UN-SAD study

The increasing complexity of academia, with its demanding working conditions and uncertain career opportunities, may affect the mental health of academics and potentially lead to mental health problems. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms in the academic population of the University of Udine and to compare symptoms in senior and younger academics and administrative staff. A cross-sectional survey was conducted between June and December 2020, involving academic and administrative staff in all departments. The prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms was assessed using the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 tools. The relationship between mental health outcomes and job role was analyzed using nonparametric tests and ordinal logistic regression. A total of 366 individuals participated: 109 junior academics, 146 senior and 111 administrative staff. The proportion of women was 55.7% and the mean age was 47.9 years. The prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms in the studied population was 25.7% (95% IC 21.5–30.4) and 22.7% (95% IC 18.7–27.2) respectively, with junior academics having the higher prevalence of both symptoms. Univariate models suggest a higher risk for anxiety symptoms OR 1.89 (1.13–3.17) for women. The prevalence of depressive symptoms is higher in our academic community than in the general population, especially among junior academics. These findings may reflect the impact of uncertain career and challenging environment on the mental health of young academics. Universities should provide more support to young academics so that they can contribute effectively and healthily to the advancement of research.