Mental Health of Elementary Schoolteachers in Southern Brazil: Working Conditions and Health Consequences

Abstract

The mental health of educators is a growing problem in many countries. This study sought to identify self-reported stressful working conditions of elementary schoolteachers and the biopsychosocial consequences of those working conditions and then identify working conditions that promote well-being for teachers in the workplace. Exploratory study was done with 37 teachers. Data collection was performed using a structured interview with a questionnaire. Results show that stressful working conditions are related to inadequate salary, an excessive number of activities, and having to take work home. Biopsychosocial consequences include anxiety, stress, and sleep disorders. There was a statistically significant association between inadequate salary and anxiety (p = 0.01) and between an excessive number of activities and stress (p = 0.01). Teachers reported that a good relationship among colleagues is a working condition that promotes well-being in the workplace. The identification of stressful working conditions for teachers, the biopsychosocial consequences, and working conditions that promote well-being in the workplace are relevant to determining actions that improve the work environment and, consequently, the health of teachers.

O Estresse, O Professor E O Trabalho Docente

“…As cinco conseqüências biopsicossociais mais freqüentes foram as condições de trabalho, incluindo ansiedade (78,4%), cefaléia (59,5%), estresse (54,1%), acordar várias vezes durante a noite (51,4%) e irritabilidade (48,6%). Os professores indicaram que as relações de trabalho que promovem o relacionamento (73%), o respeito (67,6%) e a harmonia (59,5%) favorecem o bem-estar (CEZAR-VAZ et al, 2015).…”

Professional Burnout Level and Mental Health of Teachers in Latvia

“…Burnout is observed more frequently in teachers who have high stress levels at work (Cezar-Vaz, Bonow, Almeida, Rocha, & Borges, 2015;Wang et al, 2015), and it manifests as a negative emotional reaction to prolonged stress (Maslach, Schaufeli, & Leiter, 2001). The development of burnout can be related to poor mental health because teachers, compared to other professional groups, have higher markers of mental health problems (McLean, Abry, Taylor, Jiménez, & Granger, 2017, p. 231).…”

Burnout e depressão em professores do ensino fundamental: um estudo correlacional

“…These factors include increase in work rate, reduction in number of teachers, increase of tasks and new responsibilities assumed, as well as excessive demand for results (Asunción and Oliveira, 2009), repetitive activities, impaired interpersonal relationships with students, disturbed work environment, decrease in teaching autonomy, lack of materials and equipment, and precarious situation of classrooms (Araújo and Carvalho, 2009). Cezar-Vaz et al (2015) made a research and addressed the need for greater professional recognition of teachers by school management boards, students and their parents, which could act as a mental health protective factors in these professionals.…”

“…Despite being dissonant, such prevalence figures characterize teachers as a professional group that is vulnerable to the burnout syndrome. Several other studies have also addressed the burnout syndrome as related to other variables such as stress (Benevides-Pereira, Yamashita and Takahashi, 2010; Mesquita et al, 2013); stress and working conditions (Cezar-Vaz et al, 2015;Chennoufi et al, 2012; Llorens-Gumbau e Salanova-Soria, 2014; Pedditzi e Nonnis, 2014; Wang et al, 2015), interpersonal relationships, and workload (Droogenbroeck, Spruyt and Vanroelen, 2014).…”

“…Other variables, like gender, have also been addressed (Carlotto, 2011), and a higher prevalence was found among women; organizational variables such as working hours (Carlotto, 2011;Cezar-Vaz et al, 2015;Santana et al, 2012), the presence of environmental variables such as noise (Carlotto, 2011), and factors such as low salary (Cezar-Vaz et al, 2015) are also mentioned. In addition, some studies reported an association of burnout syndrome with anxiety (Cezar-Vaz et al, 2015) and stress (Benevides-Pereira, Yamashita and Takahashi, 2010), disorders that, like depression, are relevant, although studies involving the assessment of depression as associated with burnout are still scarce.…”