OLDER teachers are more vulnerable to anxiety and depression, which often forces them to take early retirement. Problems are particularly acute among men over the age of 45.
Researchers from Cambridge University have found that over-45s are statistically more likely to suffer from career-threatening forms of psychological distress. This is often blamed on workload but in about 60 per cent of cases it is linked to other factors such as divorce and money worries.
In the 266 primary and secondary schools targeted in the study, there were 425 cases of long-term absence (20 days or more) during a 12-month period. There was a steep rise for over-45s in episodes of stress-related sickness. For men, 71 per cent of long-term absences were caused by stress, compared with 58 per cent in women.
Tony Bowers, from Cambridge University, pointed out that by 2000 at least 50 per cent of male teachers and 44 per cent of women staff were 45 or over. “Our research shows a higher proportion of men than women whose illnesses relate to one of the forms of psychological distress,” Dr Bowers said.
