The Mental Health Profiles Of Student Teachers: Relevance To Teacher Education And In Identifying Potential Future Teacher Problems

Abstract

Good mental health is an index of psychological wellbeing desirable to all people including student teachers. To prevent and protect children from being exposed to teachers with poor mental health, trainee teachers might need to be screened for psychological wellbeing. Using the Revised Symptoms Checklist, the survey assessed the mental health of Brunei trainee teachers and explored the extent to which the profiles were useful in informing teacher education and addressing potential future problems. Males scored higher and were significantly different from their female counterparts on six primary factors (Obsessive-compulsive, Interpersonal Sensitivity, Depression, Anxiety, Hostility, and Phobia) and two summary indices (Global Severity Index and Positive Symptom Total). In addition, four primary factors (Obsessive-Compulsive, Depression, Anxiety, and Paranoid Ideation) contributed significantly to the global psychological distress. Furthermore, the primary factors and summary indices correlated negatively with achievement test scores. Moreover, multiple regression analysis subsequently confirmed them to be poor predictors of academic success. Overall, the findings suggested that these assessments could sensitize trainees regarding mental wellbeing issues, aid efforts in counseling the vulnerable and at-risk students, and assist in promoting mental health among student teachers. Future mixed-methods research is recommended.