Teachers using harmful means to cope with stress
It comes after Ofsted vowed to learn lessons from the death of headteacher Ruth Perry in Reading
Last updated 2nd Apr 2024
Teachers have been taking to more harmful means to cope with the stresses of their job, new research has found.
Findings from a report published by the NASUWT teacher's trade union found that more than four in five educators have experienced more stress due to their work in the last year.
Over 11,000 professionals were surveyed on how their life has been affected by their job, with nearly a quarter of those responding admitting they had begun to drink more alcohol.
As well as this, twelve percent of respondents said that they had increased their use of antidepressants in order to deal with the pressure of being a teacher.
When asked about how their mental health has been affected, many teachers admitted to crying before work due to "badly behaved students", with others saying they would vomit before classes.
The figures from the report came at the union's annual conference in Harrogate during the Easter weekend.
It comes as the union is set to vote on a motion that calls on the government to bring in mandatory mental health training and better suicide prevention methods.
The motion warns of a "rise in suicide, suicide attempts and suicidal thoughts within the teaching profession" with concerns that the number of those affected will rise.
It adds that the profession is facing a "mental health emergency", with the health of those educating younger people reaching a "crisis point".
The move comes following watchdog Ofsted's commitment to restructure itself and learn lessons following the death of Berkshire headteacher Ruth Perry.
The teacher took her own life after the regulator downgraded her school from 'outstanding' to 'inadequate'.
Speaking on the figures, general secretary of the NASUWT, Dr. Patrick Roach said: "Nobody should be brought to the brink of ending their own life because of their job.
"We need a two-pronged approach to addressing the epidemic of mental ill health among the teaching profession, which both tackles the factors driving work-related stress, while also putting in place greater support systems for teachers and school leaders."