Educators, particularly those of BIPOC identities, are facing an unprecedented level of challenge in terms of emotional wellbeing. Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the political and social upheaval of recent years have all taken a toll on educators’ mental health. Educational need support for their own wellbeing so they can care for themselves and support the wellbeing of students under their stewardship:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
• A RAND study<\/a> with the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers found U.S. teachers and principals are experiencing frequent job-related stress at a rate about twice that of the general population of working adults. Well-being is reported as particularly poor among Hispanic\/Latinx teachers, mid-career teachers, and female teachers and principals.<\/li>\n
• The 2022 survey<\/a> by NEA and RAND Corporation found that 36% of teachers of color experienced at least one incident of racial discrimination in the 2020-2021 school year. Forty-three percent of teachers exposed to discrimination reported symptoms of depression, compared with 25 percent of their peers who had not experienced any incidents.<\/li>\n
• The 2022 Teacher Wellbeing Index<\/a> found that 59% of staff have considered leaving the sector in the past academic year due to pressures on their mental health and wellbeing, and that 78% of all staff experienced mental health symptoms due to their work.<\/li>\n
• Mental Health America\u2019s 2023 report<\/a> found: Over 1 in 10 youth in the U.S. are experiencing depression that is severely impairing their ability to function at school or work, at home, with family, or in their social life. 16.39% of youth (age 12-17) report suffering from at least one major depressive episode (MDE) in the past year. 11.5% of youth (over 2.7 million youth) are experiencing severe major depression. But most (57.3%) youth with severe depression do not receive any care, and in the U.S., there are an estimated 350 individuals for every one mental health provider.<\/li>\n<\/ul>","tablet":"

  \ud83d\udfe1 <\/strong>RESEARCH SAYS: New findings on youth loneliness and impact of SEL<\/strong><\/h3>\n

  In a study<\/a> published in Children (2023), Researchers recently conducted a meta-analysis on research about the effects of the pandemic on youth loneliness and wellbeing.<\/p>\n

  They found that \u201cdepression and anxiety symptoms have increased by approximately double<\/strong> that of pre-pandemic estimates with 1 in 4 experiencing clinically elevated depression symptoms and 1 in 5 experiencing clinically elevated anxiety symptoms.\u201d In addition loneliness was correlated with impaired wellbeing<\/strong>. \u201cCross-sectional results indicated that higher levels of loneliness were significantly associated with poorer well-being.\u201d<\/p>\n

  In more positive news, the researchers investigated mitigation strategies for loneliness and found that \u201cthe intervention designs that showed the largest reductions in loneliness focused on social and emotional learning skills.\u201d They explain that SEL programs have additional benefits \u201cThese programs can help reduce loneliness as well as improve academic goals since learning occurs well within supportive relationships.\u201d<\/p>"}},"slug":"et_pb_text"}" data-et-multi-view-load-tablet-hidden="true">

  RESEARCH SAYS: Burnout is off the charts

  Educators, particularly those of BIPOC identities, are facing an unprecedented level of challenge in terms of emotional wellbeing. Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the political and social upheaval of recent years have all taken a toll on educators’ mental health. Educational need support for their own wellbeing so they can care for themselves and support the wellbeing of students under their stewardship:

  • ARAND studywith the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers found U.S. teachers and principals are experiencing frequent job-related stress at a rate about twice that of the general population of working adults. Well-being is reported as particularly poor among Hispanic/Latinx teachers, mid-career teachers, and female teachers and principals.
  • The2022 surveyby NEA and RAND Corporation found that 36% of teachers of color experienced at least one incident of racial discrimination in the 2020-2021 school year. Forty-three percent of teachers exposed to discrimination reported symptoms of depression, compared with 25 percent of their peers who had not experienced any incidents.
  • The2022 Teacher Wellbeing Indexfound that 59% of staff have considered leaving the sector in the past academic year due to pressures on their mental health and wellbeing, and that 78% of all staff experienced mental health symptoms due to their work.
  • Mental Health America’s 2023 reportfound: Over 1 in 10 youth in the U.S. are experiencing depression that is severely impairing their ability to function at school or work, at home, with family, or in their social life. 16.39% of youth (age 12-17) report suffering from at least one major depressive episode (MDE) in the past year. 11.5% of youth (over 2.7 million youth) are experiencing severe major depression. But most (57.3%) youth with severe depression do not receive any care, and in the U.S., there are an estimated 350 individuals for every one mental health provider.