Some teachers are “likely” to be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after having to deal with Covid-related trauma and bereavement both in their own lives and in those of colleagues and pupils, the NASUWT teaching conference heard today.
Members attending the online conference today backed a motion calling for more support for teacher health, amid warnings that the increased expectations placed on many teachers during the coronavirus pandemic have put them at risk of anxiety, depression and panic attacks.
The motion noted how “poor teacher mental health has been exacerbated by unmanageable workloads and adverse management practices during the COVID-19 pandemic”.
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NASUWT executive member Alan Hackett said: “As well as pressure and anxieties directly linked to Covid such as anxiety around the virus itself, the lack of precaution and mitigations, inconsistency of approaches, lack of support from SLT (senior leadership teams) as well as potential problems dealing with their own trauma and bereavements - teachers are also being exposed to a secondary trauma supporting pupil and colleagues dealing with bereavement.
“And it is likely that some teachers will be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.”
The NASUWT also released “shocking” data today which shows how 23 percent of teachers have turned to medication to help deal with the stresses of the job during the pandemic, while 12 percent have sought counselling to help deal with work stress. It also said that around one in 50 has self-harmed.
Ava Verrier, of the NASUWT’s Birmingham association, backed the motion and said, “when teachers say they are struggling this does not mean putting them on a support plan with the threat of capability [proceedings].”
She said that, instead, schools needed to carry out “a stress assessment and a workload impact assessment” before taking “active steps to reduce workload”.
National executive member Gary Upton said: “The Secretary of State is right in saying that the teacher at the front of the classroom has the biggest impact, so we call on him to respect the health and wellbeing of all of us. We can’t have impact unless our own welfare and health and safety is fully looked after.”
The motion calls on the union’s executive to create “a wellbeing and mental health toolkit” for members as well as provide support through regional wellbeing events for members.
Other measures include creating a wellbeing officer post at the local association level as well as organising wellbeing training for use at local association meetings.
