Ensinar e Superar: Stress Ocupacional, Ansiedade, Depressão e Crescimento dos Professores perante a Adversidade

Abstract

Teaching is a high-stress profession with a significant impact on teachers' mental health. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated levels of teacher stress, as well as their anxiety and depression, an effect that persisted over time, interfering with the quality of teaching and the training of future generations. This study aims to identify the levels of stress, anxiety, and depression among Portuguese middle and high-school teachers, to determine if they vary according to sociodemographic and work-related variables, and to understand the relationships between these psychological variables. Since we had translated the Teacher Stress Scale (TSS) and the Teacher Thriving Scale (TTS, both by Chen et al., 2022), their psychometric properties were analyzed. The empirical study used an online questionnaire collecting data at the end of 2024, employing a snowball sampling method at national level, with 164 teachers participating anonymously and voluntarily. The results indicate moderate levels of occupational stress, anxiety, and depression, with 22.6% of participants presenting a pathological condition of stress, 28.7% of anxiety, and 23.8% of depression. These variables are significantly correlated with each other and are influenced by sociodemographic and work-related factors, with teachers on recent medical leave standing out due to their impact on all psychological variables. Despite adequate internal consistency, the translated scales require further research and adjustments to achieve better psychometric qualities. Given the significant impact of being a teacher, it is essential to protect their mental health by reflecting on the sources of teacher stress and improving working conditions.