Depressive and anxiety symptoms in early childhood education teachers: Relations to professional well-being and absenteeism

Early Childhood Teachers of Color in New York City: heightened stress, lower quality of life, declining health, and compromised sleep amidst COVID-19

“…Early childhood teachers’ physical and psychological well-being are disproportionately adverse; they regularly report “poorer mental health when compared to other professions” despite the fact that their “well-being is vital for improving the quality of education and student achievement” ( Peele & Wolf, 2021 , p. 275). Indeed, research has clearly documented the significance of the relationship between teacher health and well-being with respect to practices including classroom climate, teacher–child interactions, instruction, and communication with families, as well as young children's learning and development ( Jeon & Ardeleanu, 2020 ; Schaack et al, 2020 ; Schwartz et al, 2019 ).…”

“…Some literature has linked policies on accountability to teacher stress and turnover ( Ryan et al, 2017 ; Von der Embse et al, 2017 ), particularly prominent in urban contexts with high concentrations of students of Color ( Shernoff et al, 2011 ). A high percentage of early childhood teachers in urban-intensive settings report more stress and less job satisfaction than early childhood teachers working in higher-income suburban and urban settings, with early childhood teachers in urban-intensive settings more likely to experience exacerbated stress, depression, food insecurity, physical illness, poor quality of life, and burnout/turnover ( Johnson et al, 2020 ; Ouellette et al, 2018 ; Peele & Wolf, 2021 ). In such settings, early childhood teachers are also “more likely to experience reduced emotional functioning (e.g., stress, depression), a decreased sense of control over their environment, and limited resources” ( Sandilos et al, 2015 , p. 1113).…”

Perceived Vulnerability to Disease and the Relationship with Teacher Satisfaction in South Africa during COVID-19: The Serial Role of Burnout, Role Conflict, and Ambiguity

“…Existing studies undertaken over the past two decades (e.g., [ 20 , 21 , 22 , 31 ]) have confirmed that teaching is a highly stressful profession and that schoolteachers are at significant risk of adverse mental health outcomes, particularly burnout. Studies, e.g., [ 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 ], have also demonstrated that teacher burnout is predictive of reduced work engagement, increased rates of depression and motivation to leave the profession, and actual teacher attrition. As previously mentioned, the JDR model [ 19 , 43 ] has been effectively used as a conceptual framework to understand the interplay of stressors and protective factors in influencing job satisfaction.…”

The Mediating Role of Teacher Identification in the Relationship Between Psychological Distress and Teacher Satisfaction During COVID-19

“… 8 These conditions, coupled with the South African government’s pressure on teachers to “save the academic year,” may have heightened distress and adversely impacted job satisfaction among teachers. 60 According to cognitive social theory, individuals’ appraisals of negative life events influence their psychological well-being. 61 It is therefore probable that teachers who appraised themselves as having little agency and limited capacity to engage in self-protective behaviors may have experienced heightened levels of distress in the form of hopelessness and depression.…”