The effect of COVID-19 on schoolteachers' emotional reactions and mental health: longitudinal results from the CLASS study.

PURPOSE: We investigated schoolteachers' emotional reactions to COVID-19 and mental health during three phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. We further analyzed if teachers, who belonged to a COVID-19 risk group, had more emotional reactions and poorer mental health than "non-risk" groups. METHODS: We collected questionnaire data in May, June, and November-December 2020 and used data from 2665 teachers at public schools (871 individuals participated in all three surveys). Participants reported their fear of infection, fear of transmission of infection to their home or pupils, perceived burnout and stress, and worries about their ability to manage the working conditions. We included information about COVID-19 risk group status, gender, age, organization of teaching (physical presence or remote teaching), and the pupils' grade. We estimated prevalence ratios and took repeated measures into account. RESULTS: Emotional reactions and poor mental health increased significantly with 27-84% from May to November-December 2020. Teachers, who were particularly vulnerable to the adverse consequences of COVID-19, had the highest prevalence of fear of infection and poor mental health. CONCLUSION: Teachers play a crucial role in a society's response to a pandemic. Yet, the dual role of teaching and virus control along with concerns regarding the health consequences of an infection may contribute to the observed increase in emotional reactions to COVID-19 and poor mental health.

COVID-19 Risk Management and Emotional Reactions to COVID-19 Among School Teachers in Denmark: Results From the CLASS Study.

OBJECTIVES: We explored teachers' emotional reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the association between COVID-19 risk management and these emotional reactions. METHODS: We used cross-sectional data from 2665 teachers working at public schools. Participants responded to a questionnaire in May 2020. The analyses were adjusted for sex, age, cohabitation, and region. RESULTS: Knowledge about adequate test behavior and feeling secure regarding colleagues' actions to hinder spread of virus were associated with less frequent emotional reactions. Lack of access to personal protective equipment and exposure to infected pupils, parents or colleagues were associated with more frequent emotional reactions. CONCLUSION: Similar to other groups of frontline employees, teachers experience negative emotional reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic. Gaining knowledge about teachers' worries and fears during pandemics is an important first step enabling leaders and occupational health professionals to address these.