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

Perceived occupational stress and associated factors among primary school teachers in the second wave of COVID-19 in Ethiopia: a multicenter cross-sectional survey

Background

Occupational stress (OS) is a psychological state that results from people's perceptions of an imbalance between job demands and their abilities to cope with those demands. The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the teaching and learning process and compounded the stress level among teachers due to fear of transmission of the virus and school closures or the difficulty with adherence to the COVOD-19 prevention protocol. This survey study therefore aimed to investigate the prevalence of occupational stress and its associated factors among primary school teachers during the second wave of COVID-19 in western Ethiopia.

Method

An institution-based cross-sectional survey was employed from April to May 2021. The survey was conducted in Gimbi town among all 672 primary school teachers in western Ethiopia. The standardized Teacher Occupational Stress Scale was used to measure occupational stress in the past 4 months. The data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire. The collected data were entered into EpiData version 4.6 and analyzed using Stata version 14 software. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with occupational stress. The statistical significance was considered at a value of p of < 0.05 and a 95% confidence interval (CI) with an adjusted odds ratio (AOR) to evaluate the strength of associations.

Results

The response rate was 96.8% (N = 651). The majority, 389 (59.8%) of the study participants were males. The mean (±SD) age was 35.8 (±9.3) years. The prevalence of occupational stress in the second wave of COVID-19 in the past 4 months was 50.1% (n = 326) [95% CI (46.1, 53.9)]. Job dissatisfaction [AOR: 2.06, 95% CI (1.43-2.97)] and high-risk perception of COVID-19 infection [AOR: 2.20; 95% CI (1.46-3.31)] were significantly associated with occupational stress.

Conclusion

This survey disclosed a high prevalence of occupational stress among primary school teachers during the second wave of COVID-19. Job dissatisfaction and a high-risk perception of COVID-19 infection were significant predictors of the occurrence of occupational stress in school teachers. Enhancing stress management skills and focusing on primary prevention of identified risk factors were advised to curtail the condition.

A Scoping Study of Insomnia Symptoms in School Teachers

OBJECTIVES

Although the demands and stress of teaching are generally recognized, little is known about the prevalence and nature of insomnia symptoms in teachers. This scoping study investigated the following questions: How prevalent are insomnia symptoms in teachers? What biopsychosocial variables are associated with insomnia symptoms in teachers? What, if any, interventions for insomnia symptoms in teachers have been studied?

METHOD

We searched Medline, PsycINFO, Embase, CINAHL, Education Source, and ERIC for original peer-reviewed research on school teachers (kindergarten through high school) and insomnia symptoms (self-reported trouble falling or staying asleep).

RESULTS

We identified 33 relevant articles from 15 countries. The literature was heterogeneous and generally of low quality with respect to the measurement of insomnia. Based on studies that met validity and reliability criteria, 36-61% of teachers reported insomnia symptoms. Associated factors included: being female, classroom violence, low job satisfaction, pain, depression, and rumination. One online intervention, which included stimulus control, sleep restriction, and techniques for reducing rumination, provided evidence of efficacy.

CONCLUSION

Despite the importance of teachers and their work, high-quality research on insomnia in teachers is lacking. Research in this area is sorely needed. Studies should investigate insomnia symptoms over the school year, identify antecedents of insomnia, and develop interventions with the ultimate goals of understanding, preventing, and treating insomnia symptoms in teachers.

[Self-rated health and factors related to the work of basic education's teachers in Brazil]

The scope of this article is to analyze the association between teachers' self-rated health and the conditions in which they work in Basic Education schools in Brazil. It involved a cross-sectional study, carried out between 2015 and 2016, representative of Basic Education teachers in the country, the outcome variable of which was self-rated health (SRH). The explanatory variables were the work-related characteristics. To assess the factors associated with SRH, the Proportional Odds Logistic Regression Model was used. The prevalence of poor SRH was 27%. The probability of poor SRH was significantly higher for the group that reported episodes of verbal violence (OR=1.26; 95%CI 1.09-1.44), work pressure (OR=1.18; 95%CI 1, 04-1.33), and a commute to school of more than 50 minutes (OR=1.19; 95%CI 1.03-1.38). The probability of poor SRH was significantly better for those who reported having enough time to complete their tasks (OR=0.77; 95%CI 0.64-0.92), social support (OR=0.79; 95%CI 0.69-0.89) and satisfaction with their workload (OR=0.79; 95%CI 0.69-0.91). Actions on the school environment and organization and improvements in the transport of teachers to work are desirable.

Carga mental en profesores y consecuencias en su salud: una revisión integrativa

Resumen Introducción La literatura en cuanto al contexto laboral de los profesores ha documentado las condiciones de trabajo y sus efectos en la salud, sin embargo, existe escasa evidencia de los efectos de la Carga Mental de Trabajo (CMT) en este grupo, pese a tratarse de un riesgo psicosocial que se construye a partir de factores propios del quehacer docente. Objetivo Explorar la literatura respecto a la CMT percibida por profesores y su relación con condiciones de trabajo y efectos en su salud. Método Se realizó revisión integrativa en bases de datos Web of Science, CINAHL Complete, PubMed y Scielo utilizando descriptores en inglés y español considerándose como criterios de inclusión estudios cuantitativos, cualitativos y mixtos; estudios publicados desde 2013 al 2019. Además, se realizó búsqueda manual, rescatando un estudio de relevancia para el abordaje de la temática. Los estudios fueron sometidos a evaluación según niveles de evidencia desarrollados por el Oxford Centre forEvidence-Based Medicine. Resultados Se localizaron 20 artículos y se formularon categorías de análisis: condiciones laborales de profesores, efectos del trabajo en la salud, carga mental percibida por los mismos, además de establecerse sugerencias para la salud ocupacional. Conclusión Las características del contexto docente incluyen factores propios de la CMT, entre ellos la intensidad laboral y tiempos de trabajo extenuante, ruido, alta cantidad de estudiantes, mala calidad de relaciones interpersonales, inestabilidad laboral y falta de recursos.

Carga mental en profesores y consecuencias en su salud: una revisión integrativa

Resumen Introducción La literatura en cuanto al contexto laboral de los profesores ha documentado las condiciones de trabajo y sus efectos en la salud, sin embargo, existe escasa evidencia de los efectos de la Carga Mental de Trabajo (CMT) en este grupo, pese a tratarse de un riesgo psicosocial que se construye a partir de factores propios del quehacer docente. Objetivo Explorar la literatura respecto a la CMT percibida por profesores y su relación con condiciones de trabajo y efectos en su salud. Método Se realizó revisión integrativa en bases de datos Web of Science, CINAHL Complete, PubMed y Scielo utilizando descriptores en inglés y español considerándose como criterios de inclusión estudios cuantitativos, cualitativos y mixtos; estudios publicados desde 2013 al 2019. Además, se realizó búsqueda manual, rescatando un estudio de relevancia para el abordaje de la temática. Los estudios fueron sometidos a evaluación según niveles de evidencia desarrollados por el Oxford Centre forEvidence-Based Medicine. Resultados Se localizaron 20 artículos y se formularon categorías de análisis: condiciones laborales de profesores, efectos del trabajo en la salud, carga mental percibida por los mismos, además de establecerse sugerencias para la salud ocupacional. Conclusión Las características del contexto docente incluyen factores propios de la CMT, entre ellos la intensidad laboral y tiempos de trabajo extenuante, ruido, alta cantidad de estudiantes, mala calidad de relaciones interpersonales, inestabilidad laboral y falta de recursos.