Teacher Psychological Help-Seeking: Understanding the Role of Mental Health Care in Teacher Quality of Life

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session Seven
  In Roundtable Session: Mental Health and Wellness of Teachers During COVID-19: Considerations for Moving Forward (Table 12)

Abstract

Within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers have experienced significant and unique stressors. Some of these stressors have included adapting to online instruction, working in-person at personal risk to their own health and safety, and learning about the traumatic experiences of their students. While many of these stressors are new and directly related to the pandemic, teaching has long been understood as a high-stress profession, with teachers reporting high rates of outcomes such as compassion fatigue, burnout, and mental health concerns. The proposed study will investigate the role of psychological help-seeking (i.e., seeking and engaging in therapy) as a mediator of the relationships between teacher stress and professional and overall quality of life. Because results for this study are not yet available, the session will discuss a proposed model relating teacher stress, teacher help-seeking behavior, and teacher quality of life. It will also discuss evidence within existing research, including hypothesized predictors and barriers to teacher psychological help-seeking, and associations with target outcomes. A mixed-methods approach will be used. It is hypothesized that teacher psychological help-seeking during the COVID-19 pandemic will mediate the relationship between teacher stress (both personal and occupational) and professional quality of life (including compassion fatigue, compassion satisfaction, and burnout) and overall quality of life. Qualitative data will also be gathered to gain deeper insight into teachers’ perceptions of perceived barriers, facilitators, and outcomes of psychological help-seeking.

Authors

• Teresa Rosenberger, Lehigh University
  Presenting Author

• Christopher T.H. Liang, Lehigh University
  Presenting Author