Background: Excessive workload is a significant challenge for university faculty members worldwide and is linked to reduced psychological well-being. The growing demands of teaching, research, and administrative responsibilities have heightened concerns about faculty mental health.
Aim: This study aimed to examine the relationship between academic workload and psychological well-being among faculty members at the University of Kirkuk.
Methods: This correlational study was conducted at the University of Kirkuk, Iraq, from November 2025 to February 2026. A multistage sampling method was used to select 402 faculty members. After obtaining informed consent, participants completed a structured questionnaire covering sociodemographic and academic characteristics, along with scales assessing workload and psychological well-being. Descriptive and inferential analyses, including Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, were conducted using SPSS version 26.0.
Results: More than half of the faculty members (53.5%) reported high workloads, and 68.4% of participants exhibited a moderate level of psychological distress. Academic workload was positively correlated with psychological distress (rₛ = 0.248, p < 0.001), indicating that higher workload levels were associated with greater psychological distress and lower psychological well-being.
Conclusion: This study found that academic workload is significantly associated with psychological distress among faculty members at the University of Kirkuk, with higher workloads linked to greater psychological strain and lower psychological well-being. Accordingly, institutional strategies to reduce workload are needed to safeguard faculty psychological well-being in Iraqi higher education institutions.