The impact of COVID-19 on teachers' mental health

Abstract

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.

Citation

Cohen-Fraade, S. and Donahue, M. (2022), "The impact of COVID-19 on teachers' mental health", Journal for Multicultural Education, Vol. 16 No. 1, pp. 18-29. https://doi.org/10.1108/JME-08-2021-0131