Teaching in multigrade classes can be stressful, especially in rural areas caused by factors such as displacement and lack of resources. This study identified stressors at work, evaluated the stress, anxiety and coping behaviors, correlating with personal and work variables. We studies 21 teachers who were responsible for 2-3 series/class, with 16.4 students, on average. Stress was identified in 57% of the sample correlated with anxiety (moderate to severe in 30%). More common stressors were: little family monitoring and motivational and behavioral problems of students. Coping behaviors based on problem solving was predominant, especially among teachers without stress and/or more series/class, followed by search for religious practices. These are correlated with seeking social support and time of service, especially among married people and those with fewer grades/classes. There is a need for more studies on the impact of multigrade teaching in the context of teachers´ mental health.
Stress; teaching; teachers