School districts around the country are starting to invest in programs aimed at addressing the mental health of teachers.
Faced with a shortage of educators and widespread discontentment with the job, districts are hiring more therapists, holding trainings on self-care and setting up system to better respond to a teacher encountering anxiety and stress.
This comes as surveys show teachers are not happy with their job.
In a survey by the Rand Corp., twice as many principals and teachers reported frequent job-related stress as other working adults. A study from a coalition of mental health organizations of New Orleans found educators working during the pandemic reported rates of emotional distress similar to health care workers — 36% screened positive for anxiety, 35% for depression and 19% for post-traumatic stress syndrome.
Among the states singling out teacher mental health as priorities are Nebraska and Pennsylvania. Individual school districts are also using funds to address employee bevahioral health, including Concord, New Hampshire; Houston; Atlanta; and Colonial in New Castle County, Delaware.
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