Occupational stressors and irrational beliefs as predictors of teachers' mental health during the COVID-19 emergency state

Abstract

Education worldwide has been strongly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the previous evidence that teachers' wellbeing is under a tremendous negative influence of major societal disruptions, this kind of sudden overturn of the routines and practices that were in place for decades could have detrimental effects on teachers' mental health. In the present study, we are interested in examining specific occupational stressors and irrational cognitions as potential contributors to distress, depression, and anxiety among teachers, following enormous lockdown-induced changes in the educational system. The basic theoretical framework in the research is Rational-Emotive and Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (RE & CBT), according to which irrational beliefs have a critical contribution in generating and maintaining dysfunctional emotional reactions. Data were collected from 104 primary school teachers (88% female, age M= 41.39, SD=9.10) during the first wave of COVID-19, from the beginning of lockdown in March until its end in May 2020. We administered the adapted version of the Sources of stress at work questionnaire (IRS), the Teacher Irrational Beliefs Scale (TIBS) and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS21). The questionnaires were distributed electronically by professional associates in schools since classes were conducted online at the time. The results of the hierarchical regression analysis suggest that, when it comes to experiencing stress due to changes in working and living conditions, both the COVID-19 related sources of stress (b=.32, p<.005) and irrational cognitions (b=.25, p<.01) have an independent and significant contribution. However, irrational cognitions only play a significant role in experiencing anxiety (b=.33, p<.005) and depression (b=.36, p<.005).