Educator Mental Health Awareness Week
Credit: WCBC Radio
Congressmen David Trone (D-MD) and Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) led a group of their colleagues in introducing a House resolution designating the week of May 23 to 27, 2022, as Educator Mental Health Awareness Week.
Over the course of the pandemic, 27% of teachers reported symptoms consistent with clinical depression, 37% reported symptoms consistent with anxiety disorder, and 19% reported increased use of substances to cope with stress. Teachers are almost twice as likely to experience frequent job-related stress and nearly three times as likely to experience symptoms of depression than the general adult population.
On top of expectations for teachers to meet the diverse academic, social, emotional, and behavioral needs of their students, our educators had their routines uprooted by the pandemic, driving anxiety and uncertainty. Teachers are asking for more mental health training and resources, and they deserve it.
