The data comes from a research carried out by Unifesp, which evaluates signs of burnout in 397 teachers; women who advance in their careers are at a higher risk of mental health problems
About a third of basic education teachers suffer from burnout syndrome, according to a study conducted at the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP). Late wages, violence in schools and pressure to perform are among the factors contributing to increased stress in teaching.
The research evaluated 397 teachers, from different states, public and private schools. “Basic education has very specific stressors, which go beyond regency and bureaucracy. Teachers face physical and verbal violence in school, lack of structure, pressure from school management and parental demands,” says Raphaela Gonçalves, who conducted the survey during her Masters in Health Sciences.
She, who has a degree in Biology and Pedagogy, still highlights the lack of appreciation. “The low salary requires an increasing workload to support itself financially, as well as the accumulation of functions, having a role as a psychologist, social worker and in the family,” says she, who works as a teacher.
The researchers distributed an online form with three questionnaires to teachers. One of these concerned the prevalence of burnout, using an adapted version of the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI), a public domain questionnaire with 25 questions, with four dimensions:
- Personal exhaustion (exhaustion not related to work aspects);
- Work-related burnout (exhaustion and frustration closely related to work)
- Student-related burnout (influence of teacher-student ratio on career enthusiasm)
- Burnout related to colleagues (feelings of professionals towards the team they deal with)
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Women who earn more and mothers are more likely
According to the survey, the prevalence of burnout symptoms between men and women was similar. “No one was more affected than the other,” says Raphaela. “But when we cross-referenced the data, we saw that demographics and job satisfaction affected these groups differently.”
From the data, the study found that higher salaries confer a decreased chance of having a burnout among men. For women, the higher the salary, the higher the risk of burnout. “To earn more, he has to work harder, suffer more pressure,” she says. “At home, she continues to work. For a woman, positive factors at her job make her more prone to burnout.”
The same goes for mothers. As the number of children increases, women are at greater risk of personal burnout. In men, the number of children is inversely proportional to the risk of developing the disorder. “A child probably brings more satisfaction for a man. It’s not that a woman doesn’t feel fulfilled with her children, but it’s an extra job, an extra responsibility”.
Research has not seen a relationship between the prevalence of the syndrome and factors such as region of the country, public and private schooling, and income. One of the points that caught the researcher’s attention, however, was the greater job satisfaction among public school teachers compared to private school professionals.
“It might have to do with the fact that public school teachers understand their function as a purpose, a means of change. It’s a little different from private school teachers, who charge much more. Parents, because they pay for teaching, they are much more present and demand more,” he says.
“Sleeping meant turning into another day”
It was precisely low job satisfaction at a private school that led 47-year-old Vanessa Paula Teixeira to burnout almost 10 years ago. The pedagogue, who has 20 years of experience in the area, was previously involved in the education of people with disabilities (PwD), but accepted the proposal to go to a private school because the salary was higher. “It was the worst thing she ever did. I spent everything I earned on medicine,” she recalls.
According to the educator, burnout was related to a number of factors in the work environment, such as psychological pressure from management and parents, incompatible deadlines, overload and moral harassment. It didn’t take long for burnout symptoms to appear.
“I had absurd insomnia, I couldn’t sleep. Because sleeping meant turning into another day”, she says. “She started telling me what time it was to go to work, I was so out of breath I felt like I was dying. It was an absurd fear of the weather to be in that place,” she tells Vanessa, who she also claims to have lost weight at the time, due to lack of appetite. .
The pedagogue sought help from a psychologist and a psychiatrist and started taking medications. She left school after two years: she was fired upon returning from leave, precisely due to mental health problems. “When you’re in the situation, you can’t see yourself being sick no matter how much everyone talks about it. You think it’s normal. It’s stressful, intense routine. You just see the damage it does to you when you walk away.”
Main symptoms of burnout, according to the Ministry of Health:
- Excessive tiredness, physical and mental;
- Frequent headache;
- Changes in appetite and gastrointestinal problems;
- Insomnia;
- Difficulty concentrating;
- Feelings of failure and insecurity;
- Constant negativity and feelings like defeat, hopelessness, or incompetence
- Isolation;
- High blood pressure and heart rate changes;
- Muscle aches.
Leaving may be the solution
According to neuropsychologist Carolina Garcia, who studies mental health in teaching, burnout is characterized by burnout. “Let’s talk about the matter (teachers burnout) to the fact that today we lack not only the recognition but the structure for the teacher to play a good role,” he explains.
Lack of school support for teachers, student behavior and excessive bureaucracy may be the causes. It also emphasizes homework overload, as the function requires time to work before and after class work, lesson preparation, and test marking.
“The teacher has 30 to 40 students in a class. He has to know their names, how to relate, understand their difficulties. There are a number of factors that end up really complicating things.”
Symptoms include a desire to stay away from work, negative thoughts about one’s job, and changes in eating and sleeping patterns. But, she points out, it’s important to distinguish between burnout and fatigue, which is normal. “You recharge at the weekend or on vacation. When you talk about burnout, this lack of interest in work is no longer delivered.”
In this case, treatment should be carried out with psychological and psychiatric follow-up. In many situations, burnout requires the teacher to leave the school environment for at least six months. “It’s hard to recover in the same environment where we fell ill,” she reflects.
Vanessa who, after being fired from the school where she developed burnout, put education aside for a few years. “I was invited by an insurance broker to work, and that’s what helped me recover from my illness. I left the trigger environment,” she says.
After feeling safe to recover, Vanessa went back to studying, as a kindergarten teacher in the public network. “Today I live in another reality. I took medicine for many years and slowly I weaned myself off”, she says.
A readjustment in the working environment or the teacher’s transfer to another function or institution may also be the solution, if professional monitoring suggests it. Treatment with psychotherapy can help in the behavioral part, to help improve the teacher’s thoughts in the face of the scenario that has caused the stress, indicates the neuropsychologist.
In note, the Municipal Secretary of Education of São Paulo informed that the school units have the support of the reference Basic Health Units (UBS) and of the Conflict Mediation Commissions. And he highlighted the expansion of the School Protection and Culture of Peace network, as well as the support of professionals from the Support and Follow-up Center for learning, which includes psychologists and educational psychologists.
Also wanted, State Department of Education highlighted the existence online, since 2019, of the Program for the Improvement of Coexistence and the Protection of the School (Conviva-SP). According to the folder, this action provides support and monitoring strategies for teaching and management teams, which includes, among other factors, the strengthening of the social safety net around the school community and the approximation of social care and health services mental.
The state also plans to hire 550 face-to-face professionals, who will be in 91 education directorates (DE). Each of the professionals will personally work in up to 10 schools per week, with at least 600,000 hours of service.
In addition, the government says that the 1st edition of the “Love your mind at school” course started in May. In all, nearly 3,000 teachers participate.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
