| Teaching is a popular occupational choice; teachers comprise a little more than 3% of the U.S. civilian workforce (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2015), yet some epidemiological evidence shows that teachers experience mental health problems at a disproportionately high rate when compared to the rates found in other occupational groups. Whether emanating from students or organizational conditions, work stress has been identified as a contributor to these problems. Among all occupations for which a college degree is required, teaching has among the highest turnover rates, for example, higher than that of nurses (Ingersoll, 2013). However, high rates of turnover have not been a function of excess retirements (Ingersoll, 2001; Ingersoll & May, 2012), and more likely reflect the stressfulness of the working conditions many teachers face (Ingersoll, 2001; Ingersoll & May, 2012). Workplace stressors affect teachers’ mental health (MH) and turnover intentions. By MH, we refer to both psychological symptoms (e.g., depressed mood) and mental disorders (e.g., major depression). Stressors that affect teachers have consistently been identified in both qualitative and quantitative research. These stressors include: student fighting, disruptiveness, and indifference; unsupportive administrators; and overly prescriptive supervisors who limit teacher autonomy (Finlay-Jones, 1986; Ginsberg, Schwartz, Olson, & Bennett, 1987; Hastings & Bham, 2003; Ingersoll, 2001; Schonfeld, 2006; Schonfeld & Santiago, 1994; Shirom, Oliver, & Stein, 2009; Sinclair, Martin, & Croll, 2002; Younghusband, 2008). This chapter comprises seven sections. The first examines epidemiologic research on the risk and prevalence1 of mental disorders and high levels psychological distress in teachers as compared to prevalence estimates in other groups. The second and third sections cover within-occupation research on the relation of workplace stressors to teacher MH and burnout. The fourth section evaluates the longitudinal research covered in the previous sections. The fifth underlines ways to improve methodological practices in research on stress and MH. Because workplace stressors are thought to give rise to both burnout and depression, the sixth section examines burnout-depression overlap. |
