Exploring the Connection Between Mental Health and Well-Being for Faculty in Hospitality and Tourism Education: A Thematic Analysis

ABSTRACT

There is limited research addressing mental health issues among academic faculty. Considering the profound impact that mental health has on individual well-being, it is important to understand the factors contributing to mental distress and develop appropriate coping mechanisms, accounting for the unique setting of academia. Thus, the main objective of this paper is to critically evaluate the existing literature on mental health and mindfulness practices and their impact on well-being domains for faculty in hospitality and tourism. The paper employs a recursive thematic analysis to identify major topics in the literature and suggest future research directions and policy implications for higher education institutions. The study’s findings help to raise awareness of this critical issue in academia and establish a conceptual framework to evaluate the connection between mental health and well-being domains for faculty members and offer feasible tools to enhance faculty’s mental health and well-being.

KEYWORDS:

• Mental health
• well-being
• faculty
• academia
• hospitality and tourism education
• thematic analysis

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).