In the Aftermath: Institutional Support as a Moderator of Faculty & Staff Mental Health After Hurricane Helene

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 7:45 am - Gold 1
  In Roundtable Session: Higher Education Governance and Leadership in Contested Times

Abstract

This study explores how trauma stemming from Hurricane Helene impacted the mental health of faculty and staff in three colleges of education in western North Carolina, with a focus on the moderating role of institutional support. Guided by ecological systems theory and trauma theory, we examined both proximal (e.g., peer, supervisor) and distal (e.g., senior leadership) support. Survey results revealed that institutional support significantly buffered the relationship between trauma symptoms and mental health, and that the interplay between support types mattered. Findings highlight the importance of layered, relationally grounded support systems in higher education crisis recovery. This work contributes to trauma-informed organizational research and calls for post-crisis practices that recognize employees as both responders and survivors in institutional ecosystems.

Authors

• R. Jason Lynch, Appalachian State University

• Chauntee Thrill, Appalachian State University

• Ashley J. Carpenter, Appalachian State University

• Stacey D Garrett, Appalachian State University

• Candice Peters, Appalachian State University