Being an Academic: A Systematic Review Study on the Concept of Well-Being and Well-Being Indicators

Higher education institutions (HEI) are workplaces with a high incidence of occupational health risks. Academics face high rates of burnout, stress, and mental illness, making monitoring faculty wellbeing imperative. Workplace wellbeing is a complex construct with many different conceptualizations and measures. The lack of consensus on operationalizing wellbeing creates difficulties in interpreting research findings, with consequences for practice. This systematic review aims to provide a concrete overview of how wellbeing is defined and measured in studies on academics. The current research shows that wellbeing is not only poorly defined, but definitions are sometimes implied rather than stated. When explicitly defined, wellbeing conceptualizations are often combined for a more holistic perspective. This extends to wellbeing measures, which are also frequently combined.