Violence against public school teachers and burnout

Abstract

School expansion, changes in the educational model and funding problems have profoundly changed teaching in Brazil, intensifying demands on teachers. Health problems such as burnout are common in the profession. We investigated teacher burnout and its association with occupational factors, including violence. Data were collected using in-depth interviews and two specific instruments (the Maslach Burnout Inventory and Spanish Burnout Inventory). Statistical analysis was performed using Stata, version 13.0. Ninety-three teachers referred to psychotherapy from public schools in different regions of the city of São Paulo participated in the study. Burnout was associated with 11 school setting variables, including having suffered violence in the school (p <0.001), discomfort with interpersonal contact at work (p <0.001) and noise (p <0.001). Sixty percent of the teachers with severe burnout had suffered violence at school in the last year. Both collective and occupational issues were associated with teacher burnout. Among these, interpersonal conflict and violence, which appears as a new and common problem, adversely affect the health of these professionals.

Keywords:
Burnout; Teachers; Mental health; Workplace violence; Occupational health