Burnout and institutional support among Ukrainian academic staff during wartime

This study investigates burnout predictors among Ukrainian academic staff during the full-scale war, career-change ideation, and perceived institutional mental health support. Drawing on survey data from 429 academic staff, the research combines the Maslach Burnout Inventory-HSS with additional measures of accessibility and credibility of institutional support in academia. Findings reveal high levels of emotional exhaustion (71.8%) and depersonalization (59.4%), as well as low levels of personal accomplishment (59.9%). Career-change ideation and low perceived credibility and accessibility of support were consistently associated with higher burnout, whereas the mere availability of programmes shows little protective effect unless perceived as meaningful and contextually relevant. These findings position burnout not only as a mental health concern but also as a structural risk to higher-education continuity, highlighting the need for participatory, trust-based support embedded at the institutional level in academia operating under crisis.