Abstract
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education included school closures and the implementation of virtual teaching and teleworking without the knowledge or resources needed to do so. This situation accentuated the inequality in accessing quality education and generated high rates of stress, anxiety, and general discomfort in teachers. This study aimed to explore the mental health of teachers who were forced to telework because of COVID-19, and to analyze the association with sociodemographic, teacher-related, and working conditions. The sample was 278 classroom teachers in Chile who teleworked more than 50% during the 2020 academic year. The participants were mostly women (82%) who entered the teaching profession at age 30 or younger (87%) and worked two or more unpaid overtime hours per day (67%). The dependent variable was mental health measured through the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). The independent variables were sociodemographic, teacher-related, and work conditions. The internal structure of the mental health construct was evaluated using the Rasch model. Crude odds ratios (cORs) and adjusted odds ratios (aORs) were estimated using logistic regression models. A high rate of poor mental health was identified in teachers (58%). The variables associated with poor mental health were working in a private–subsidized school (aOR = 2.89; 95% CI: 1.16–7.22), working two or more unpaid overtime hours (aOR = 2.25; 95% CI: 1.11–4.59), and being absent due to sickness (aOR = 3.82; 95% CI: 1.53–9.58). These results provide evidence suggesting the need for actions to improve the working conditions of teachers who telework in order to improve their mental health, and thus have a positive impact on the entire educational community.
Highlights
The pandemic caused by COVID-19 has impacted all societies and has presented an unprecedented challenge to global health, the environment, the economy, and education.From the end of March 2020, many countries around the world were confined, with the aim of stopping the spread of the disease
This study shows a high prevalence of poor mental health in this sample of teachers in Chile who were forced to telework without the knowledge or resources needed to do so during the COVID-19 pandemic
This study contributes to the recognition of a high prevalence of perceived ill health in teachers who have been forced to telework due to the COVID-19 pandemic
Summary
The pandemic caused by COVID-19 has impacted all societies and has presented an unprecedented challenge to global health, the environment, the economy, and education. From the end of March 2020, many countries around the world were confined, with the aim of stopping the spread of the disease. Telework from home, defined by the International. The educational field is one of the most affected social sectors since the pandemic forced the suspension of face-to-face teaching activities and led to virtual or distance learning and teleworking. In Chile, the suspension of activities took place at the beginning of the academic year (i.e., from March 2020), which meant that face-to-face teaching was suspended for practically all of the 2020 academic year. The suspension of face-to-face activities caused an average loss of 88% of annual learning for students, which increased up to 95% for
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