Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a rapid transition to remote work in higher
education, significantly altering academic operations and affecting the well-being
of university staff. This study investigates the physical and mental health impacts
of prolonged remote work among academic staff at the University of Cape Town
(UCT), South Africa. The research is grounded in the Job Demands-Resources
(JD-R) model and employed a cross-sectional quantitative design. Data were
collected from 74 full-time academic staff through a structured, validated online
questionnaire and analysed using SPSS for descriptive and inferential statistics.
The findings indicate that 32.4% of respondents experienced musculoskeletal
(MSK) issues, with the highest prevalence among mid-career staff (6–10 years of
service). Mental health outcomes were more concerning: 58.1% met clinical
thresholds for anxiety (GAD-7 ≥10), and 52.7% showed signs of depression (PHQ-
2 ≥3), with a strong positive correlation (r = 0.72, p < 0.001) between the two. Only
40.5% of staff received formal COVID-related training, and 59.5% received
debriefing support. Debriefing was associated with lower depression scores,
suggesting its protective role, while training was unexpectedly linked to increased
anxiety, likely due to risk sensitisation without adequate coping mechanisms.
The study therefore highlights the urgent need for ergonomic interventions, mental
health services, structured debriefing protocols and flexible hybrid work models.
The results have significant implications for occupational health policy in low- and
middle-income country contexts, where infrastructure disparities may compound
remote work challenges. Institutions are encouraged to adopt inclusive, datadriven
support structures that prioritise staff well-being. The study concludes with
evidence-informed recommendations and calls for longitudinal, mixed-methods
research to further explore the evolving impact of hybrid academic work
environments.