Work Overload and Psychological Distress in Muslim Academics: Moderating Roles of Spiritual Resilience, Acceptance, and Well-Being

Abstract

This study examined the influence of work overload on psychological distress among Muslim lecturers at higher education institutions in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, with spiritual resilience, acceptance, and subjective well-being as moderating variables. The expanding burden of academic performance reporting requirements (Beban Kinerja Dosen/BKD) has emerged as a salient occupational health concern, yet empirical evidence on psychological protective mechanisms in this context remains limited. Using a quantitative cross-sectional survey design, we collected data from 120 Muslim lecturers through validated psychometric instruments and analysed them using hierarchical multiple regression in IBM SPSS 26.0. Results showed that work overload significantly predicted psychological distress (β = 0.594, p < 0.001), accounting for 35.3% of the variance. Spiritual resilience, acceptance, and subjective well-being each significantly moderated this relationship (β = −0.214, −0.189, and −0.182, respectively; all p ≤ 0.001), indicating meaningful attenuation of distress outcomes. The full model explained 56.0% of the variance (R² = 0.560, F = 17.842, p < 0.001), representing a large effect size (Cohen's f² = 1.273). These findings underscore the importance of cultivating Islamic spiritual and psychological protective resources among academic staff, with significant implications for institutional policies promoting lecturer well-being in Indonesian universities. Keywords: Acceptance; Muslim lecturers; Psychological distress; Spiritual resilience; Work overload