The impact of COVID-19 on teachers' mental health

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine teachers’ experiences with mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach The authors administered an online survey to full-time public school teachers simultaneously enrolled in a master’s degree program in education. Out of 455 teachers who were sent the survey, 96 completed it, resulting in a 21.1% survey completion rate. The survey was composed of both quantitative and qualitative items which assessed teachers’ self-perceptions about their mental health before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as their use of mental health resources. Most questions were drawn from the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4), so focused primarily on symptoms of depression and anxiety. Findings The results of the survey indicated that overall, teachers felt an increase in symptoms of anxiety and depression between March 2020 and February 2021. A noteworthy percentage of participants said they were seeking mental health supports. Research limitations/implications This study was conducted with teachers in an alternative certification program, so their experiences might not be widely generalizable to teachers enrolled in traditional pathways to certification. Originality/value While some research has been conducted on mental health, less has been conducted with public school teachers and even less has assessed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to add to the existing literature about teachers' experiences with anxiety and depression, as well as the specific impact of COVID-19.

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Teachers’ Sleep, Religious Tasks, and Suicidal Thoughts: A Preliminary Assessment

International Journal of Multidisciplinary: Applied Business and Education Research ◽

10.11594/ijmaber.02.01.02 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 8-16

Author(s):

John Mark R. Asio ◽

Edward C. Jimenez

Keyword(s):

Public School ◽

Online Survey ◽

Data Gathering ◽

Primary Data ◽

Public School Teachers ◽

School Teachers ◽

Suicidal Thoughts ◽

The Bible ◽

Correlational Design ◽

The Impact

Because of the unexpected and debilitating effect of the current pandemic, the impact of the pandemic on teachers is detrimental. This paper investigated the public-school teachers' sleep, religious tasks, and suicidal thoughts. The study used a descriptive correlational design with the online survey as the primary data gathering tool. 198 public school teachers from a school's division in Central Luzon, Philippines participated in the online survey. The researchers created the online instrument with validation done by experts. After the data gathering, the study used the following statistical tools to calculate the frequency count, percentage, rank, t-test, and Analysis of Variance with the help of SPSS 22. Results show that teachers go to sleep between 10:00-11:00 PM and wake up between 5:00-6:00 AM. This comprises 7-9 hours of sleep. Teachers also go to church or other religious meetings once a week and also, they pray, meditate, or study the Bible more than once a week. Also, most of the responses of teachers in the suicidal thoughts were either "no" or "never". Furthermore, the study also found significant differences in the teachers' sleep, religious tasks, and suicidal thoughts when grouped according to their profile. The study concluded that teachers have established sleep and religious tasks routines. On the other hand, suicidal thoughts are out of the options for the teachers’ business.

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Public school teachers’ experiences of profound learning

Andragoška spoznanja ◽

10.4312/as.25.3.107-123 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 25 (3) ◽

pp. 107-123

Author(s):

Davin Jules Carr-Chellman ◽

Michael Kroth

Keyword(s):

Public School ◽

Learning Experience ◽

Basic Research ◽

Public School Teachers ◽

School Teachers ◽

Teachers Perceptions ◽

Lifelong Learner ◽

Structural Identity ◽

Teachers Experiences ◽

Cumulative Process

Teachers play a fundamental role in the democratic process by forming an educated populace. Of our many different expectations of teachers, teacher-as-lifelong-learner is among the most neglected. Our basic research questions are: what are teachers’ perceptions of profound learners and profound learning experiences. Through an in-depth focus group with public school teachers, the purpose of this study was to build our understanding of teachers-as-learners by exploring these two questions. Based on this research, the qualities of a profound learning experience include: growing, emotive, disruptive, real, irreversible, either positive or negative, social, opening, and surprising. Profound learners, according to themes which emerged: have depth of thought, are emotionally wise, take life seriously, are adventurous in thought and deed, are unbounded, and are humble. Through a constructivist lens, these qualities direct us to the following findings: profound learning is non-dualistic and holistic, is a cumulative process, and is integral to the complex role of structural identity.

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How prevalent is mental ill-health in the workplace – and how can employers help workers who are suffering?

Development in Learning Organizations An International Journal ◽

10.1108/dlo-02-2019-0046 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 33 (6) ◽

pp. 4-7

Author(s):

Zain Sikafi

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Online Survey ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Common Knowledge ◽

Health Problems ◽

Significant Rise ◽

Full Time ◽

Content Type ◽

Nationally Representative ◽

The Uk

Purpose This research was commissioned by Mynurva in October 2018. The independent, nationally representative survey was conducted among more than 2,000 UK adults to uncover the number of full-time workers who suffer from mental health problems, how many of them seek help for their issues, and the main barriers that hold them back from doing so. Design/methodology/approach A nationally representative sample of 2,003 adults in employment were surveyed about their mental health. Via an online survey, employees responding that they had experienced mental health problems were asked to respond further to a series of statements. Contingency tables were then produced, revealing what percentage of respondents agreed or disagreed with each statement that was presented to them. Findings Almost a third (32 per cent) of full-time employees have suffered from mental health problems in the workplace. More than one in three workers suffering from mental health symptoms have never sought any professional help, and at 42 per cent, male workers were more likely than female workers (32 per cent) not to seek help. In total, 44 per cent have never disclosed their issues to a manager at work. Of those struggling with their mental health, the authors found that 55 per cent of workers fear admitting their problems to a manager would hinder their chances of a promotion. A majority (59 per cent) also believe that if their mental health problems became common knowledge in the office, then it would negatively affect their relationships with colleagues. This figure rises to 71 per cent among workers of age 18-34. Confidentiality was cited as a key obstacle for employees, with 58 per cent worrying that their mental health problems would not remain confidential if they were to discuss them in the workplace. There was a significant rise among millennials, 68 per cent of which shared these sentiments. Originality/value The authors commissioned Opinium to conduct independent research in the UK.

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Resiliency and mental health of school teachers in Okinawa

Journal of Health Research ◽

10.1108/jhr-11-2019-0248 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Paul Ratanasiripong ◽

Takashi China ◽

Nop T Ratanasiripong ◽

Shiho Toyama

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Demographic Data ◽

Self Esteem ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Teaching Profession ◽

Regression Analyses ◽

School Teachers ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Content Type ◽

The Impact

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe the mental health issues among teachers globally and to investigate the significant factors that specifically impact the mental health of school teachers in Okinawa, Japan.Design/methodology/approachThis cross-sectional study examined depression, anxiety, stress, self-esteem and resiliency among 174 teachers from seven schools in Okinawa, Japan. The study questionnaire consisted of four parts, including demographic data, Depression, Anxiety, and Stress scale (DASS-42), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE), and Connor-Davidson Resiliency Scale (CD-RISC). Multiple regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of mental health variables.FindingsOf the 174 teachers, 111 were females (64%) and 60 were males (35%). Average age of participants was 41.65 (SD = 10.07). Average number of years being a teacher was 15.50 (SD = 9.88). There was a significant gender difference in the level of self-esteem. Significant differences in anxiety were found among varying grade levels taught. Regression analyses indicated that resiliency and self-esteem significantly predicted depression, anxiety and stress among school teachers in Okinawa.Originality/valueThis is the first study among school teachers in Okinawa that examined the impact of resiliency and self-esteem on their mental health. To reduce psychological distress common within the teaching profession, social and environmental support should be provided within the school to better foster the successful promotion of teacher resiliency and self-esteem.

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Partners of young breast cancer survivors: A cross-sectional evaluation of psychosocial issues and mental health.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2017.35.5_suppl.184 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 35 (5_suppl) ◽

pp. 184-184 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Nancy Borstelmann ◽

Shoshana M. Rosenberg ◽

Shari I. Gelber ◽

Meghan E Meyer ◽

Kathryn Jean Ruddy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Mental Health ◽

Social Support ◽

Coping Strategies ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Full Time ◽

Maladaptive Coping ◽

Psychosocial Concerns ◽

The Impact

184 Background: While evidence of the challenges of cancer caregiving has been growing, scant research addresses the experience of partners of young adults with cancer. These individuals and their relationships may be particularly vulnerable to stress, especially when managing the complexity of cancer care and survivorship with their partner. We sought to evaluate psychosocial concerns and mental health in the partners of young survivors of early stage breast cancer (BC). Methods: We invited partners of young women w/BC diagnosed at age ≤ 40 yrs enrolled in a prospective cohort study to participate in a one-time survey evaluating psychosocial concerns including quality of life, coping, social support, financial insecurity, partnership concerns, parenting concerns, anxiety and depression. Logistic regression was used to explore predictors of anxiety (score > 8 on Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)). Results: Most respondents (284/289) were male, with median age 43 yrs (range 27-65). The median time of survey completion was 62 months (range 16 -114) after their partner’s dx. Respondents were mostly white (93%), working full time (94%), and college educated (78%); 29% reported some financial stress, 74% were parenting children < 18 yrs, and 32% reported at least a fair amount of relationship concern. 42% (106/250) had anxiety (39/289 respondents (13%) had incomplete/missing HADS). In univariable analyses, lower education, working full time, parenting concerns, insufficient social support and maladaptive coping were associated (p < .05) with anxiety. In the multivariable model, only maladaptive coping remained significantly associated with anxiety (p < .01, OR = 2.32 (95% CI: 1.22, 4.39)). Conclusions: Partners of young BC survivors who used less constructive/more maladaptive coping strategies experience negative mental health outcomes after tx has ended. Caregivers’ anxiety may have implications for both their own and survivors’ health and QOL. Future interventions might focus on the development of constructive coping strategies to enhance adjustment and role effectiveness in dealing with the impact of cancer.

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Public school teachers’ perceptions about mental health

Revista de Saúde Pública ◽

10.1590/s0034-8910.2014048004696 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 48 (6) ◽

pp. 940-948 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Amanda Gonçalves Simões Soares ◽

Gustavo Estanislau ◽

Elisa Brietzke ◽

Fernando Lefèvre ◽

Rodrigo Affonseca Bressan

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Public School ◽

General Health ◽

The Body ◽

Southeastern Brazil ◽

Public School Teachers ◽

School Teachers ◽

Teachers Perceptions ◽

Mind And Body ◽

The Subject

OBJECTIVE To examine public school teachers’ perceptions about general health and mental health, and the way in which they obtained this information. METHODS Qualitative research was conducted with 31 primary and secondary school teachers at a state school in the municipality of Sao Paulo, SP, Southeastern Brazil, in 2010. The teachers responded to a questionnaire containing open-ended questions about mental health and general health. The following aspects were evaluated: Teachers’ understanding of the terms “health and “mental health,” the relevance of the need for information on the subject, the method preferred for obtaining information, their experience with different media regarding such matters, and perceptions about the extent to which this available information is sufficient to support their practice. The data were processed using the Qualiquantisoft software and analyzed according to the Discourse of the Collective Subject technique. RESULTS From the teachers’ perspective, general health is defined as the proper physiological functioning of the body and mental health is related to the balance between mind and body, as a requirement for happiness. Most of the teachers (80.6%) showed great interest in acquiring knowledge about mental health and receiving educational materials on the subject. For these teachers, the lack of information creates insecurity and complicates the management of everyday situations involving mental disorders. For 61.3% of the teachers, television is the medium that provides the most information on the topic. CONCLUSIONS The data indicate that there is little information available on mental health for teachers, showing that strategies need to be developed to promote mental health in schools.

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National standards: improving patient rights and safety of health services

Clinical Governance An International Journal ◽

10.1108/cgij-02-2014-0006 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 19 (3) ◽

pp. 194-206 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Lisa O’Farrell ◽

Michael Byrne ◽

Linda Moore

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Services ◽

Mental Health Professionals ◽

Online Survey ◽

Survey Methodology ◽

Service Providers ◽

Patient Rights ◽

Content Type ◽

Regulatory Standards ◽

The Impact

Purpose – Regulation is increasingly being used in healthcare to influence the behaviour of healthcare organisations. Since 2006, a key change in Ireland has been the introduction of national regulatory standards in mental health services under new legislation. Little empirical evidence, however, exists on the effects of regulation. The purpose of this paper is to examine the perceived impact of standards at patient level as well as on professional and organisational practice in services. Design/methodology/approach – An anonymous online survey methodology using a self-devised questionnaire instrument was employed. A national cohort of service managers and multi-disciplinary mental health professionals were asked their views on the introduction of standards. Findings – A total of 185 individuals responded to the survey, yielding a response rate of 38 per cent. Substantial improvements were reported to have taken place across services with the most notable changes being improved safeguarding of patients’ rights and increased safety of care. Additionally, major changes were reported in professional working with new topics being discussed at management meetings and new functions being incorporated into certain professionals’ roles. Practical implications – Standards can change behaviour at several levels across healthcare organisations, although professional groups differ in their views on the degree of this impact. Originality value – To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first evaluation of the impact of national regulatory standards in healthcare in Ireland. This study lends support to the use of standards to enhance patient rights and the safety of services. The results provide useful direction for policy makers, regulators, and service providers.

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EFFECT OF THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.27717 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Sulhi Alfakeh

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Saudi Arabia ◽

University Students ◽

Female Students ◽

Male Students ◽

Psychological Status ◽

Mental Wellbeing ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Full Time ◽

The Impact

BACKGROUND The continuous reporting of the latest confirmed COVID-19 cases in Saudi Arabia and globally, with the concomitant social distancing measures and university closures, is likely to affect the mental wellbeing of many university students. There have been many reports on the psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the public, hospital staff, patients, children, and older adults [4,5]. However, to date, only a few studies on the mental health effects of COVID-19 and the wellbeing of college students have been conducted during the pandemic [6]. In this study, we aimed to estimate the mental health impact of COVID-19 on university students in Saudi Arabia. We conducted our study to learn more about the psychological status of university students through the pandemic for the following reasons: to evaluate the prevalence of stress, anxiety, and depression of university students during the pandemic; and to provide a basis for universities and governmental policies to support university students affected by the impact of COVID-19. OBJECTIVE Objective: To estimate the psychological impact of COVID-19 on university students in Saudi Arabia. METHODS Method: The Depression Anxiety Stress Scales 21 (DASS-21) questionnaire was distributed via the university students’ accounts. Of the 71,945 full-time undergraduate university students, 3,515 respondents completed the questionnaires. The study questionnaire also included demographic information, including age, gender, source of income, living arrangements, smoking status, and weekly physical exercise. RESULTS Results: Nearly half of participants had normal stress (40.5%, n = 1425) and anxiety (42.4%, n = 1492) levels. In terms of depression, nearly one-third of subjects were classified as ‘normal’ (29.3%, n = 1031); however, one-fourth of them were classified as ‘extremely severe’ (23.8%, n = 838). There were significantly higher levels of stress among female students. Also, a significantly higher rate of male students (50.4%, n = 667) had normal anxiety levels, compared with female students (37.7%, n = 825). Finally. significantly higher proportion of female students had symptoms of depression (72.66%, n = 1,592) compared with the degrees of depression among male students (67.37%, n = 892). CONCLUSIONS Conclusion: We detected that stress, anxiety, and depression increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, and university students were at more risk of developing mental health issues. Ongoing follow-up and monitoring of psychological consequences and their potential negative impact on academic performance and mental wellbeing are needed. CLINICALTRIAL none

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FINANCIAL LITERACY CHALLENGES: THE CASE OF FILIPINO PUBLIC-SCHOOL TEACHERS

Jurnal Aplikasi Manajemen ◽

10.21776/ub.jam.2021.019.04.02 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (4) ◽

pp. 715-724

Author(s):

Cyrus Casingal ◽

◽

Inero Ancho ◽

Keyword(s):

Public School ◽

Financial Literacy ◽

Online Survey ◽

Basic Education ◽

Literacy Program ◽

Future Research ◽

Public School Teachers ◽

School Teachers ◽

Service Training ◽

Survey Questionnaires

This study analyzed the Philippine public school teachers' financial literacy challenges. The data and results were gathered through online survey questionnaires and focused group discussions conducted in the school year 2019-2020. Twelve participants contributed to the FGD, while a total of 325 teacher respondents answered the online survey questionnaires. The results showed that the majority of the public-school teachers are struggling financially. That results in a controlled and limited financial lifestyle. Moreover, teachers unconsciously practice informal debt, which causes uncontrolled debt. Without proper knowledge and education to financial literacy, borrowing money becomes a lifestyle of every teacher in the country. Based on the findings, a financial literacy program must be included in every in-service training or division-wide teachers' mass gathering. The financial literacy program may be implemented by all participating schools where the study was conducted. Future research related to financial literacy programs may be conducted in basic education, colleges, and universities following the method used in this study.

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