Association of classroom-level stressors with psychological distress in teachers

Background
Poor mental health is highly prevalent among schoolteachers. Different occupational, contextual and personal factors have been identified as sources of their psychological distress.

Aims
To explore the association of classroom-level variables with teachers’ mental health over the course of an academic year.

Methods
This study included 80 primary schoolteachers and 2075 pupils from the STARS trial conducted in England, which explored the impact of the Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management programme. Linear regression models examined the relationships between classroom-level predictor variables and teachers’ psychological distress, as measured by the Everyday Feeling Questionnaire, at 1 and 9 months into the school year. Predictor variables included classroom size and demographic composition, amount of teaching assistant support, and pupils’ mental health, as measured by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and the Pupil Behaviour Questionnaire. Analyses were adjusted for teacher length of service and trial arm status.

Results
One month into the school year, fully adjusted analyses showed that having a classroom with a higher proportion of male pupils was associated with worse teacher mental health. None of the classroom-level stressors were associated with teacher mental health at 9 months.

Conclusions
Classroom gender balance was associated with teacher’s mental health at the beginning but not at the end of the academic year. It is important to consider classroom-level variables when developing interventions and policies for teacher mental health.