journal_vol49no3 - 30

healthcare (DeSimone, 2023). A possible explanation of these results could be that
working in higher education, particularly in university housing, could be limiting or
curbing the negative impact of some of these systemic factors.
The mental health of senior housing officers (SHOs) appears to be the least impacted
by the pandemic, as they reported the smallest percentage (76.2%) of MHI-5
scores lower than 76, in comparison to other housing function groups with more than
20 respondents. Full-time hall directors reported the highest impact of the pandemic
and job duties on their mental health based on their mean score (M = 4.28), which is
further reinforced by the results of Welch's ANOVA. They also reported the highest
percentage (89.4%) of MHI-5 scores lower than 76. These results are unsurprising,
as it is more likely that full-time hall directors are on the frontlines, interacting with
students more closely, as well as having the direct responsibility and consequent stress
of implementing any new guidelines decided on by SHOs. Furthermore, full-time hall
directors live where they work, some in residence halls with student populations over
400, and have had to continue carrying out their responsibilities during the pandemic.
For this reason, additional mental health support structures may be beneficial for our
full-time hall directors. This support can include highly encouraged use of paid time
off after a certain period of time coupled with an adjusted workload, highly encouraged
frequent mental health check-ins with counselors, and mandatory training for supervisors
on being ideal support systems for their employees.
Graduate assistant hall director respondents all scored below the 76 cutoff score,
indicating struggles similar to those of full-time hall directors, with the likely additional
stress of completing their graduate degree. Department leaders must pay attention
to workplace stressors such as excessive workloads, inflexible hours, negative organizational
culture, unclear job roles, and limited support from colleagues, since all these
factors can pose a risk to employees' mental health (World Health Organization, 2022).
Other forms of support can involve training for employees in mental health literacy
and awareness, which is aimed at increasing the knowledge base about mental health
and thereby reducing any stigmas that may exist. Furthermore, providing reasonable
accommodations to employees such as extra time to complete duties, flexible working
hours, time off for health appointments, and regular check-ins with leadership are also
effective ways to create a healthy work support system (World Health Organization,
2022). Institutional leadership should also prioritize these efforts by allocating funds
dedicated to creating accessible programs for all employees to further reinforce the
structures in place.
It is evident that the mental health of our housing professionals-regardless of race,
gender, age, housing function, level of education, and university type-has been
greatly impacted during the pandemic. Institutions, and their respective housing
departments in particular, need to assess the various types of institutional and
departmental support provided to their staff to ensure their well-being.
Volume 49, No. 3 * 2023 27

journal_vol49no3

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of journal_vol49no3