An Academic’s Ethical Obligations for Self-care

Abstract

aAcademics have experienced increased stress in recent decades due to changing workplace demands. Chronic levels of high stress can lead to poor psychological, physical, productivity, and relational outcomes. While academics have ethical guidelines for research, there is no overarching set of ethical guidelines for other aspects of academic responsibility. We argue that many of the ethical guidelines for psychologists can guide academics in ensuring appropriate self-care choices. Self-care requires ongoing practices—such as boundary setting and prioritizing of career and personal goals, as well as practices for states of extreme stress—such as utilizing an ethical decision-making process. Institutions also have a critical role in supporting academics to engage in self-care practices.