Teacher Teleworking during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Association between Work Hours, Work-Family Balance and Quality of Life

Musculoskeletal disorders and quality of life for Chilean teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic at the academic year-end

Introduction

Schoolteachers have reported multiple demands contributing to poor perceptions regarding their quality of life and high rates of musculoskeletal disorders. However, there are few studies about the association between musculoskeletal disorders and quality of life from the end of the academic period during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective

Evaluate musculoskeletal disorders rates and their association with quality of life perceptions among teachers from the last academic period during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Participants and methods

A total sample of 161 Chilean schoolteachers was included in a cross-sectional study musculoskeletal disorders prevalence was evaluated using the Standardized Nordic Questionnaire, and quality of life was evaluated through the Short-Form 12 Health Survey Instrument. A logistic regression was applied to evaluate the association between musculoskeletal disorders and quality of life perceptions adjusted by gender, age, and contract type.

Results

98% of teachers have suffered from some type of musculoskeletal disorders during the last 12 months, and 64% have had six or more painful regions. Women showed a higher musculoskeletal disorders rate than men. The group of teachers with the most musculoskeletal disorders (≥p50) saw significantly greater risk of low scores on the physical (OR: 2.16; p < 0.05) and mental components (OR: 4.86; p < 0.01) of quality of life, regardless of gender, age, and contract type.

Conclusion

High musculoskeletal disorders rates suggest that preventive and informative actions must be taken regarding these disorders in order to protect teachers' mental and physical health, considering the effects of the school year and the COVID-19 health crisis.

Promoting teachers' wellbeing through a serious game intervention: a qualitative exploration of teachers' experiences

Introduction

Teachers' wellbeing plays a critical role in their overall job satisfaction, motivation, and effectiveness in building supporting learning environments. In today's dynamic educational settings, where teachers often face numerous challenges and stressors, their wellbeing becomes increasingly vital. Consequently, there is an urgent need to innovate and develop targeted training interventions that can support specifically the wellbeing of educators.

Methods

This study sought to provide an overview of the "Online Wellbeing Course - OWC," a serious game developed to enhance teachers' wellbeing, and to investigate the participants' feedback after being engaged in the OWC, utilizing a qualitative approach through focus group discussions. A total of 189 in-service teachers took part in the study. To qualitatively explore their experiences with the OWC, participants were involved in focus groups and asked to provide feedback about how and to what extent the course was beneficial for their wellbeing.

Results

Teachers reported enhancements in areas such as emotional competence, self-care strategies, social awareness, relationship skills, decision-making, and school climate.

Discussion

These outcomes suggested the potential of serious games as an innovative training approach for supporting teachers' wellbeing, offering valuable insights for researchers, policymakers, and educators.

Psychometric performance of EQ-5D-5L and SF-6DV2 in measuring health status of populations in Chinese university staff and students

AIMS

To compare measurement properties of EQ-5D-5L and SF-6DV2 in university staff and students in China.

METHODS

A total of 291 staff and 183 undergraduates or postgraduates completed the two instruments assigned in a random order. The health utility scores (HUS) of EQ-5D-5L and SF-6DV2 were calculated using the respective value sets for Chinese populations. The agreement of HUSs was examined using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and Bland-Altman plot. Convergent validity of their HUSs and similar dimensions were assessed using Spearman's correlation coefficient. Known-group validity of the HUSs and EQ-VAS score was assessed by comparing the scores of participants with and without three conditions (i.e., disease, symptom or discomfort, and injury), as well as number of any of the three conditions; their sensitivity was also compared.

RESULTS

The ICCs between the two HUSs were 0.567 (staff) and 0.553 (students). Bland-Altman plot found that EQ-5D-5L HUSs were generally higher. Strong correlation was detected for two similar dimensions (pain/discomfort of EQ-5D-5L and pain of SF-6DV2; anxiety/depression of EQ-5D-5L and mental health of SF-6DV2) in both samples. The correlation between the two HUSs were strong (0.692 for staff and 0.703 for students), and were stronger than their correlations with EQ-VAS score. All the three scores could discriminate the difference in three known-groups (disease, symptom or discomfort, number of any of the three conditions). The two HUSs were more sensitive than EQ-VAS score; and either of them was not superior than the other.

CONCLUSIONS

Both EQ-5D-5L and SF-6DV2 HUSs have acceptable measurement properties (convergent validity, known-groups validity, sensitivity) in Chinese university staff and students. Nevetheless, only EQ-5D-5L (PD and AD) and SF-6DV2 (PN and MH) showed indicated good convergent validity as expected. Two types of HUSs cannot be used interchangeably, and each has its own advantages in sensitivity.

Perceived occupational stress and associated factors among primary school teachers in the second wave of COVID-19 in Ethiopia: a multicenter cross-sectional survey

Background

Occupational stress (OS) is a psychological state that results from people's perceptions of an imbalance between job demands and their abilities to cope with those demands. The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the teaching and learning process and compounded the stress level among teachers due to fear of transmission of the virus and school closures or the difficulty with adherence to the COVOD-19 prevention protocol. This survey study therefore aimed to investigate the prevalence of occupational stress and its associated factors among primary school teachers during the second wave of COVID-19 in western Ethiopia.

Method

An institution-based cross-sectional survey was employed from April to May 2021. The survey was conducted in Gimbi town among all 672 primary school teachers in western Ethiopia. The standardized Teacher Occupational Stress Scale was used to measure occupational stress in the past 4 months. The data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire. The collected data were entered into EpiData version 4.6 and analyzed using Stata version 14 software. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with occupational stress. The statistical significance was considered at a value of p of < 0.05 and a 95% confidence interval (CI) with an adjusted odds ratio (AOR) to evaluate the strength of associations.

Results

The response rate was 96.8% (N = 651). The majority, 389 (59.8%) of the study participants were males. The mean (±SD) age was 35.8 (±9.3) years. The prevalence of occupational stress in the second wave of COVID-19 in the past 4 months was 50.1% (n = 326) [95% CI (46.1, 53.9)]. Job dissatisfaction [AOR: 2.06, 95% CI (1.43-2.97)] and high-risk perception of COVID-19 infection [AOR: 2.20; 95% CI (1.46-3.31)] were significantly associated with occupational stress.

Conclusion

This survey disclosed a high prevalence of occupational stress among primary school teachers during the second wave of COVID-19. Job dissatisfaction and a high-risk perception of COVID-19 infection were significant predictors of the occurrence of occupational stress in school teachers. Enhancing stress management skills and focusing on primary prevention of identified risk factors were advised to curtail the condition.

Mentorship reconsidered: A case study of K-12 teachers' mentor-mentee relationships during the COVID-19 pandemic

This study critically examined the impact of a crisis context (COVID-19 pandemic) on K-12 teachers by placing emphasis on the mentor-mentee dyad through the perspective of the mentee in a large United States public school system. A phenomenological case study was undertaken that used semi-structured interviews to examine 14 early career teachers (mentees) participating in a formal mentoring program during the 2020-2021 school year. The study focused on mentor-mentee relationships by accounting for the single most traumatic and transformative event of the modern era of K-12 public education. The analysis yielded three findings highlighting the impact of COVID-19 on the mentor-mentee dyadic experiences of first- and second-year teachers engaged in a mentoring relationship. The findings indicate that (a) e-mentoring allowed for avoidant behaviors from mentors (b) successful mentoring involves the development of personal relationships between a mentor and mentee, and (c) peer and reverse mentoring became commonplace during the COVID-19 pandemic. Public school systems can use these findings to help develop positive mentor and mentee relationships that go beyond the traditional dyadic roles and help reduce stress in a crisis context, while developing a culture where superiority bias is improved. Research implications offer mentoring literature a view to pay more attention to temporal influences during environments of high stress, which may provide more explanatory power on mentorship roles, cultural influences, and social interactions in the course of mentor-mentee practices.

On the Influence of the University Tenure on the Digital Pandemic Stress in Higher Education Faculty

This paper conducts quantitative research on the levels of stress generated in Latin American professors due to the abrupt digitalization of higher education resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the differences in this digital stress between professors from private and public universities are analyzed. For this purpose, a validated questionnaire has been used and passed to a sample of 750 professors from 20 different Latin American countries, whose responses have been statistically analyzed. As results, it has been obtained that there are no significant differences between the average levels of digital stress of professors of private and public universities due to the pandemic. However, the way in which this digital stress has affected Latin American professors according to gender and age is different depending on the university tenure. As a consequence, some implications and recommendations derived from the results are presented.

Prevalence of Burnout among Teachers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Meta-Analysis

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many studies have found that there has been a lot of teacher overload. One of the additional burdens has been that they have had to teach online. In addition, when they returned to face-to-face classes, they had to follow all the hygiene rules so that the COVID-19 virus would not spread. It is therefore not surprising that, during this pandemic period, high levels of psychological symptoms have been reported among teachers. Among this symptomatology, burnout has been very frequent among teachers. Therefore, the aim of this study is to conduct a meta-analysis to determine the overall prevalence of burnout among teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic. For this purpose, a search was conducted for cross-sectional studies listed in PubMed from 1 December 2019 to 14 February 2022 that reported on the prevalence of burnout among teachers. A total of nine studies from eight different countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North and South America, were included in this study. The pooled prevalence of burnout among teachers was 52% (95% CI 33-71%), which is higher than burnout rates reported for health professionals. There was significant heterogeneity between studies (I² = 99%, p-value < 0.001), and the prevalence of burnout was higher in women and school teachers (compared to university educators), and lower in American studies. This meta-analysis concludes that teachers worldwide experienced a high rate of burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic. This has implications not only for the teachers themselves, but also for the quality of the education they were able to provide. This education has an influence on the student population. The possible long-term effects are yet to be determined.

PTSD (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder) in Teachers: A Mini Meta-Analysis during COVID-19

BACKGROUND

Since March 2020, when the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to stop the spread of the virus, unprecedented measures were taken worldwide. One of the most important measures was the closure of schools and educational centers around the world in 2020, and very extreme health protocols have been in place in educational centers since they were reopened. From early childhood education to universities, teachers first had to adapt in a short period time to online classes and then continuously readapt to new protocols according to the pandemic situation. This academic environment, in addition to the pandemic situation itself, has favored the emergence of mental disorders such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Medline via PubMed and other databases were searched for studies on the prevalence of PTSD in teachers from 1 December 2019 to 1 October 2022. A total of five studies were included in this review. Our results show a prevalence of PTSD of 11% reported by teachers. No subgroups nor meta-regression analyses were performed due to the insufficient number of studies available.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest that teachers are suffering from PTSD, so it is important to carry out more studies worldwide. Similarly, measures to improve the mental health and well-being of teachers during the pandemic and post-pandemic periods are needed.

Changes in psychological distress among Polish medical university teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic

Our study aims to update knowledge about psychological distress and its changes in the Polish group of academic medical teachers after two years of a global pandemic. During the coronavirus disease, teachers were challenged to rapidly transition into remote teaching and adapt new assessment and evaluation systems for students, which might have been a completely novel situation that was not addressed before, especially in medical universities in Poland. We conducted a cross-sectional study at Poznan University of Medical Sciences from March to April 2022. The questionnaire included self-reported information on anxiety, stress, and depression. We found that post-pandemic levels of anxiety, stress, and depression have significantly (p<0.001) improved compared to initial levels at the beginning of coronavirus disease. In multivariate models, females had higher odds of improving levels of anxiety (OR  =  0.46; 95% CI  =  -1.58-(-0.03); p  =  0.04), stress (OR  =  0.36; 95% CI  =  -1.83-(-0.22); p  =  0.01), and depression (OR  =  0.0.37; 95% CI  =  -1.58-(-0.12); p  =  0.03). Anxiety, stress, or depression were not significantly associated with years of experience, the number of taught subjects, and weekly teaching hours, but only with the academic work during COVID-19 (Spearman ranxiety = 0.37, rstress = 0.32, rdepression = 0.37, p<0.001). For the virtual learning concerns, 79% of teachers reported that students might engage less; and it was correlated with higher weekly teaching hours (r = 0.19, p<0.05). Even though only 29.8% reported cheating as a concern, it was correlated with a higher number of taught subjects (r = 0.2, p<0.05). Levels of anxiety, stress, and depression have improved as time passed, not affecting teachers' academic performance. Concerns about virtual learning have been raised, suggesting it may be conjoined with classroom learning but not as an alternative. Universities should highlight the importance of seeking psychological support and provide essential programs to employees. Teachers' coping skills with psychological distress should be further studied.

Teachers' Well-Being Forced to Work from Home Due to COVID-19 Pandemic: Work Passion as a Mediator

BACKGROUND

This study examines the relationship between perceived demands (workload and organizational constraints) of teachers' work during the online period of schooling during the COVID-19 crisis and well-being (emotions, engagement, and job crafting), with work passion as a mediator.

METHODS

The survey was carried out on a sample of 383 teachers during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Scale of Organizational Constraints and the Workload Scale, the Passion Scale adapted for work, the Job Crafting Questionnaire, the Utrecht Scale of Work Engagement, and the Scale of Positive and Negative Experience was used.

RESULTS

Harmonious passion strengthened the positive relationships between workload and organizational constraints and job crafting and weakened the negative relationship with positive emotions and the positive one with negative emotions. The positive relationship between workload and engagement has been strengthened by harmonious passion. The negative relationship between organizational constraints and engagement became positive and weaker. Relationships between variables were weakened, i.e., workload and engagement, organizational constraints and job crafting, or strengthened, i.e., organizational constraints and engagement, by an obsessive passion. In tested models, obsessive passion has the opposite effect and is weaker than harmonious passion.

CONCLUSION

The structural equation modeling (SEM) confirmed that work passion, mainly harmonious, is a mechanism explaining the relationship between the demands of forced work from home with teachers' well-being.

Health Security, Quality of Life and Democracy during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Comparative Approach in the EU-27 Countries

The aim of this paper is to emphasize the role played by the social, economic and political variables in shaping models of sustainable healthcare systems and strategies able to support and improve the quality of life during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The context of our research is represented by the medical and socioeconomic crises generated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The current pandemic negatively affects healthcare systems, quality of life and the global economy. In this respect, this paper aims to thoroughly scrutinize the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the social and healthcare systems of EU countries, to analyze the impact of human development in the field of the Global Health Security Index and to estimate the relation between resilience and quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research design is quantitative, resorting to the use of both descriptive and inferential statistics, against the background of a long-term comparative approach to the respective situations in the EU-27 countries. Empirical findings are relevant for emphasizing the fact that human development and social progress are predictors for the dynamics of health security measures. Moreover, the quality of the political regime, particularly in the case of full and flawed democracies, is strongly related to a high level of resilience and could influence the perception of quality of life. All of these empirical results could prove valuable for scholars interested in understanding the relationships between democracy, healthcare systems and quality of life, and for political decision makers involved in the effort of reducing the negative effects of COVID-19 in EU-27 countries.

Psychological Research on Sleep Problems and Adjustment of Working Hours during Teleworking in the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Exploratory Study

Mandatory home isolation caused by COVID-19 in professional contexts led to a situation that required work activities to be converted into a remote modality. The literature on this topic is very recent, given the pandemic and the uncertainty of virtual and face-to-face work modalities. This study aimed to examine the effects of adults' prolonged exposure to screens on sleep quality, the type of devices used according to age and gender, periods of access to such devices and the impact on performance in the context of telework due to COVID-19. Specifically, the study analyzed the differences in the use of devices and in the time spent using them during and after teleworking between genders and age groups. A total of 127 Portuguese participants answered the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and a questionnaire that we specifically developed to characterize teleworking habits. The results showed differences between men and women regarding the use of devices and its impact on sleep quality, as well as differences in terms of age. These results are discussed in terms of how the current work context may affect performance, sleep, gender differences and the adverse effects of exposure to screens during and after work hours.

Depression, Anxiety, and Stress among Teachers during the Second COVID-19 Wave

There is a strong background indicating that the teaching profession is one of the most stressful and that their mental health has deteriorated even further during the pandemic. However, there is a little background about the impact of the COVID-19 infection peaks and teachers’ mental health. To this end, 313 teachers were recruited. Via online questionnaires, an evaluation was performed on their depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms on the DASS-21 scale. Teachers’ sociodemographic and socio-personal data were also analyzed. A binary logistic regression was used to analyze the variables which could be associated with each of the symptoms. High rates of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms were observed among teachers (67%, 73%, and 86%, respectively). Among teachers who were affected by the work–family balance (89%), there was also an increased risk of symptoms of anxiety (OR: 3.2) and stress (OR: 3.5). Depression symptom risk was higher among women (OR: 2.2), and teachers under 35 years old had a risk of presenting all three symptoms (depression OR: 2.2; anxiety OR: 4.0; stress OR 3.0). In contrast, teaching in private educational establishments was a protective factor for anxiety symptoms (OR: 0.3). The results suggest that the second COVID-19 wave profoundly affected teachers’ mental health. Urgent interventions are thus needed to aid teachers’ mental health.

Telework in Baltic Countries during the Pandemic: Effects on Wellbeing, Job Satisfaction, and Work-Life Balance

As a result of the rapid and unplanned adoption of telework by European companies during the pandemic, specific telework characteristics have arisen. Thus, employees’ experience of telework requires further analysis. Based on the “Living, Working, and COVID-19” results for Baltic countries, this paper studies the effect of telework experience on wellbeing, both directly and mediated by Work-Life balance and job satisfaction, through structural equation modelling. After verifying the significant differences in telework preferences, the model is also tested in high versus low telework preference groups. The main findings corroborate the effect of a positive telework experience on perceived wellbeing, but only indirectly via Work-Life balance. Additionally, data from the group with a high telework preference best fits the proposed model, revealing not only the mentioned indirect effect, but also the direct positive effect of telework experience on wellbeing. Thus, employees with a negative experience of telework during the pandemic will be more reluctant to accept telework over more traditional work arrangements. The implications as well as some limitations to be examined in further studies are also presented.

The COV-ED Survey: exploring the impact of learning and teaching from home on parent/carers' and teachers' mental health and wellbeing during COVID-19 lockdown

BACKGROUND

Following the emergence of COVID-19 in the UK, on March 18^th 2020 the majority of schools in England closed and families and teachers were tasked with providing educational support for children and adolescents within the home environment. Little is known, however, regarding the impact of remote teaching and learning on the mental wellbeing of parents/carers and teaching staff.

METHODS

The Coronavirus Education (COV-ED) online survey explored the practicalities of learning and teaching from home for 329 parents/carers and 117 teachers of 11-15 year old adolescents in England, during June/July 2020, and the associated impact on their mental wellbeing. Participants were recruited through schools and via University of Warwick social media channels. Data was analysed using a series of Multiple Linear and Multivariate Regressions.

RESULTS

Despite coping well with the challenges of remote learning, a third of teachers reported below average mental wellbeing on the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale. Multivariate regression revealed that wellbeing was associated with access to resources and confidence to teach from home. Almost half of parents/carers surveyed reported below average wellbeing. Multivariate regression revealed that poor wellbeing was more common in those who were also working from home and who lacked support for their own mental health. Concerns about their child's mental health and lack of access to electronic devices and workspace were also significantly associated with the mental wellbeing of parents/carers.

CONCLUSIONS

Whilst young people's mental health and wellbeing has, and continues to be a national priority, the mental health and wellbeing of the families and teachers supporting them has not previously been explored. Our survey population was of predominantly white British heritage, female and living in the West Midlands UK, therefore, findings should be treated with caution. Findings provide a snapshot of factors that may be of significance to families and schools in supporting the mental wellbeing of those tasked with learning from home. They will help i) increase knowledge and awareness with regard to future support of families and teachers during similar crises; ii) enable the design and development of practical solutions in the delivery of remote teaching and learning; and, iii) help address the mental wellbeing needs of those tasked with supporting adolescents.

Acute stress disorder and job burnout in primary and secondary school teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic: The moderating effect of sense of control

The study aim was to examine the relationship between acute stress disorder and job burnout among primary and secondary school teachers, and to explore the moderating effect of sense of control on this relationship. A total of 751 teachers completed self-report questionnaires during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results showed that acute stress disorder, emotional exhaustion, and depersonalization were significantly lower in female teachers than in male teachers. Age was positively associated with acute stress disorder and negatively associated with inefficacy. Acute stress disorder was significantly and positively associated with emotional exhaustion and depersonalization dimensions of job burnout. The relation between acute stress disorder and inefficacy was moderated by sense of control: acute stress disorder was positively associated with inefficacy when the sense of control was strong and was negatively associated with inefficacy when the sense of control was weak. These findings demonstrate that acute stress disorder is a risk factor for job burnout, and that sense of control is a protective factor for some aspects of job burnout. However, in individuals with a strong sense of control, acute stress disorder is associated with greater inefficacy, suggesting that sense of control can both positively and negatively affect burnout.

Musculoskeletal Disorders and Quality of Life in Chilean Teachers: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction

Teaching professionals have reported multiple conditions associated with low quality of life (QoL) perception. Various studies have also reported high prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). In this context, there are few studies regarding the association between low QoL perception and MSD suffering in teachers.

Objective

Therefore, in this study the aim was evaluate MSD prevalence and its association with teachers' QoL perception.

Participants and Methods

A total sample of 544 Chilean teachers were included in a cross-sectional study. MSD prevalence was evaluated via the Standardized Nordic Questionnaire and QoL perception via the Short-Form 36 Health Survey Instrument. Multinomial logistic regression was applied to evaluate the association between MSD and QoL perception adjusted for gender and age.

Results

A total of 91% of teachers have had some MSD in the last 12 months, and 28.86% have had 6 or more painful regions. Females showed greater MSD prevalence than males. Teachers who reported no MSD had higher QoL scores compared to teachers with MSD. The group of teachers with the most MSD (≥p75) saw significant increases in the risk of having low scores in the physical (OR: 2.82) and mental components (OR: 2.65) of QoL. By contrast, teachers without MSD have a buffer effect for their QoL (physical OR: 0.2; mental OR: 0.44).

Conclusions

High MSD prevalence suggest that preventive and informative actions must be taken regarding these disorders to protect teachers' mental and physical health, considering the multiple risk factors to which teachers are exposed given their work conditions in Chile and worldwide.

Variables Influencing Professors' Adaptation to Digital Learning Environments during the COVID-19 Pandemic

This paper conducts quantitative research on the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the adaptation to digital learning environments (DLE) of a group of 908 university professors. We compared the perceptions of participants who were digital natives (born before 1980) with those of digital immigrants (born after 1980). For this purpose, a validated survey was used and the obtained responses statistically analyzed. The results show a negative correlation between pandemic stress and the digital competence of professors and their adaptation skills to digital environments, which although weak for both of the two groups compared are stronger for digital immigrants. Both self-confidence and digital competence show a positive influence on the perception of adaptation of skills to DLE, and this is weaker in digital natives. Gaps were identified by gender and area of knowledge of the participants; consequently, the need to carry out training actions for university faculty on skills linked to their digital competence in teaching is clear.

Association between Emotional Exhaustion and Tobacco Consumption in Teachers

Teachers have been reported as having high levels of emotional exhaustion (EE). It has also been observed that tobacco consumption (TC) is higher during stressful events. However, there is little evidence about the association between EE and TC among teachers. A total of n = 560 teachers took part in this study, where 71.79% (n = 402) were women. For data gathering, the EE dimension of the Maslach Inventory for teachers was used, along with a TC questionnaire and the sociodemographic data of the participants. A binary logistical regression model was used for statistical analysis. Regarding TC, over 30% of teachers declared that they smoked; 65% of the teachers presented medium-high EE and 31% of teachers presented high EE. Teachers who said they were smokers had a greater risk of presenting high EE (OR: 1.7, p < 0.05), along with younger teachers (≤44 years; OR: 2.1, p < 0.01). In addition, teachers with high EE also have a high risk of TC. The present study reports an association between TC and high EE category among teachers, regardless of gender. An important association is also observed between the under-45 age group and high EE. These results indicate that teachers should have psychological support and interventions aiding them with facing work stress and TC habits, especially for younger teachers.

Burnout: A Review of Theory and Measurement

A growing body of empirical evidence shows that occupational health is now more relevant than ever due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This review focuses on burnout, an occupational phenomenon that results from chronic stress in the workplace. After analyzing how burnout occurs and its different dimensions, the following aspects are discussed: (1) Description of the factors that can trigger burnout and the individual factors that have been proposed to modulate it, (2) identification of the effects that burnout generates at both individual and organizational levels, (3) presentation of the main actions that can be used to prevent and/or reduce burnout, and (4) recapitulation of the main tools that have been developed so far to measure burnout, both from a generic perspective or applied to specific occupations. Furthermore, this review summarizes the main contributions of the papers that comprise the Special Issue on “Occupational Stress and Health: Psychological Burden and Burnout”, which represent an advance in the theoretical and practical understanding of burnout.

Teleworking Experience of Education Professionals vs. Management Staff: Challenges Following Job Innovation

The article deals with the problem of teleworking. Due to the constraints of the pandemic, the education sector has undergone a dramatic change, with teachers and students en masse moved to work from home. In the past, digital solutions have gradually penetrated the education sector, but the pandemic has turned the process into social innovation in the broad sense and performance innovation in the narrow sense. The latter aspect is addressed in this article. The paper aims to reveal the effect of the transition to teleworking on employees in the education sector. Based on the survey results, the study reports experiences of higher education and college professors, secondary schools and vocational schools' teachers and managerial staff in terms of personal well-being, management quality, and performance. The paper is novel in terms of the scope of the study: it analyses the teleworking issue in different educational institutions. In addition, the study compares the experiences of education staff and managers. There is a lack of such research in the scientific literature in the education sector. The research confirms that telecommuting managers experienced less shock and fatigue than professors and teachers. In addition, university professors proved to be the best prepared to work in innovative ways, but they also rated the performance of their managers' management work the worst among all educational institutions. Meanwhile, while teachers in secondary schools rated telework the most negatively, they rated the ability of their leaders to lead the team in extraordinary conditions the best. The research results can be useful for education leaders and policymakers as well as for researchers dealing with the topics of teleworking, teachers' job performance, employee fatigue, and leadership competencies.

Equilibrio ocupacional durante el confinamiento por Covid-19 en docentes de terapia ocupacional de una institución universitaria

Resumen Introducción El confinamiento obligatorio en respuesta al Covid-19 obligó al cierre de institutos y universidades, haciendo que los docentes adaptarán sus estrategias de enseñanza a medios digitales, experimentando un incremento de la jornada laboral, mayor estrés, fatiga y dificultades para separar el trabajo de otras ocupaciones, lo cual compromete su salud física y mental. Objetivos Describir el equilibrio ocupacional de docentes de Terapia ocupacional de una institución universitaria de Cali-Colombia, durante el confinamiento por Covid-19, y establecer la relación con variables sociodemográficas y la presencia de sintomatología de ansiedad y depresión. Metodo Estudio observacional de corte transversal con 32 docentes de terapia ocupacional. La información se recopiló mediante un cuestionario sociodemográfico, los cuestionarios OBQ-E, PHQ-9 y la escala GAD-7. Se realizaron tablas de frecuencias y porcentajes para variables cualitativas y las cuantitativas se presentaron en promedio y desviación estándar. El análisis bivariado se hizo mediante análisis de correspondencia múltiple, t-student, ANOVA y correlaciones de Pearson. Resultados El 75,0% de participantes eran mujeres. El promedio en el equilibrio ocupacional fue 36,5; el 31,3% manifestó síntomas de ansiedad y 43,8% de depresión. Conclusiones La mayoría de docentes eran mujeres, sexo que se relacionó con el cuidado de adultos mayores. Las puntuaciones en equilibrio ocupacional y la presencia de síntomas de ansiedad y depresión reflejan los ajustes que los docentes asumieron durante el confinamiento, en respuesta al aumento de las actividades diarias, la poca variedad entre ocupaciones que querían y que debían hacer y la satisfacción con el tiempo de descanso y sueño.

Occupational balance during Covid-19 lockdown among occupational therapy academics

Abstract Introduction The mandatory confinement in response to Covid-19 forced the closure of colleges and universities, leading professors to adapt their teaching strategies to digital media, These changes in teaching processes showed an increase in the workday, greater stress, fatigue, and difficulties in separating work from other occupations, which may compromise the physical and mental health of teachers. Objective To describe the occupational balance of occupational therapy teachers at a university in Cali-Colombia, during lockdown due to Covid-19, and to establish the relationship between sociodemographic variables and the presence of symptoms of anxiety and depression. Method A cross-sectional study was conducted with 32 occupational therapy professors. The information was collected using Google forms containing a sociodemographic questionnaire, the OBQ-E, PHQ-9 questionnaires, and the GAD-7 scale. Absolute frequency tables and percentages were made for qualitative variables, and quantitative variables were presented as mean and standard deviation. Bivariate analysis was performed using t-student tests, ANOVA, and Pearson's correlations. Results 75.0% of participants were women. In occupational balance the average was 36.5; meanwhile, 31.3% manifested symptoms of anxiety and 43.8% of depression. Conclusions Most of the professors were women, gender that was related to the care of older adults. The scores in occupational balance and the presence of anxiety and depression symptoms reflect the adjustments that the professors assumed during the confinement, in response to the increase in daily activities, the little variety between occupations that they wanted and had to do, and satisfaction with the job, rest and sleep time.

The effect of COVID-19 on schoolteachers' emotional reactions and mental health: longitudinal results from the CLASS study

Purpose

We investigated schoolteachers’ emotional reactions to COVID-19 and mental health during three phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. We further analyzed if teachers, who belonged to a COVID-19 risk group, had more emotional reactions and poorer mental health than “non-risk” groups.

Methods

We collected questionnaire data in May, June, and November–December 2020 and used data from 2665 teachers at public schools (871 individuals participated in all three surveys). Participants reported their fear of infection, fear of transmission of infection to their home or pupils, perceived burnout and stress, and worries about their ability to manage the working conditions. We included information about COVID-19 risk group status, gender, age, organization of teaching (physical presence or remote teaching), and the pupils’ grade. We estimated prevalence ratios and took repeated measures into account.

Results

Emotional reactions and poor mental health increased significantly with 27–84% from May to November–December 2020. Teachers, who were particularly vulnerable to the adverse consequences of COVID-19, had the highest prevalence of fear of infection and poor mental health.

Conclusion

Teachers play a crucial role in a society’s response to a pandemic. Yet, the dual role of teaching and virus control along with concerns regarding the health consequences of an infection may contribute to the observed increase in emotional reactions to COVID-19 and poor mental health.

The Association of Job and Family Resources and Demands with Life Satisfaction through Work-Family Balance: A Longitudinal Study among Italian Schoolteachers during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Successfully balancing between work and family domains represents a major issue to both employees and employers, especially during COVID-19 pandemic times during which employees are often forced to work from a distance and turn to home-schooling. An occupational group particularly affected by work changes due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions is represented by schoolteachers. We aimed at examining the associations between some job-related and family-related antecedents on the one hand and, on the other, life satisfaction as an outcome, including work–family balance as a mediator. A total of 357 Italian teachers completed a questionnaire at two different times: job control, coworkers support, supervisor support, workload, family support, and family workload were assessed at Time 1; and work–family balance and life satisfaction were assessed at Time 2. Both data collections were performed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The hypothesized direct and indirect relationships were tested by utilizing structural equation modeling. Significant and positive indirect effects of focal predictors towards life satisfaction through work–family balance were found for job control, supervisor support, and family support. The paper contributed to the literature by testing Grzywacz and Carlson’s theoretical conceptualization of work–family balance and by attempting to delineate its repertoire of potential antecedents among schoolteachers. From a practical point of view, the present study emphasizes the crucial role that certain job antecedents and family antecedents play in promoting teachers’ work–family balance and life satisfaction.