IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v14y2022i17p10664-d898787.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Mental Health Screening during COVID-19 Pandemic among School Teachers in Malaysia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Author

Listed:
  • Theingi Maung Maung

    (Unit of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, AIMST University, Bedong 08100, Kedah, Malaysia)

  • Sing Ying Tan

    (Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Ipoh 30450, Perak, Malaysia)

  • Chai Li Tay

    (Simpang Health Clinic, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Simpang, Taiping 34700, Perak, Malaysia)

  • Mohammed Shahjahan Kabir

    (School of Medicine, Perdana University Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (PURCSI), Kuala Lumpur 50490, Selangor, Malaysia)

  • Lubna Shirin

    (Faculty of Medicine, Biomedical Science and Nursing, MAHSA University, Jenjarom 42610, Selangor, Malaysia)

  • Tan Yong Chia

    (Analytical Biochemistry Research Centre (ABrC), Universiti Sains Malaysia, Bayan Lepas 11900, Penang, Malaysia)

Abstract

(1) Background: The teaching profession has become more challenging due to the increased use of information technology, which potentially increases psychological distress among teachers. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among school teachers in Malaysia during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated sociodemographic factors. (2) Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among primary and secondary school teachers in Malaysia. A validated DASS-21 questionnaire was used for mental health screening, and the study was conducted online during the pandemic period. (3) Results: The percentages of respondents with mild, moderate, severe, and extremely severe depression were 12%, 9.7%, 4.7%, and 3.1%, respectively. Those with mild, moderate, severe, and extremely severe anxiety accounted for 11.5%, 12.3%, 6.3%, and 6%, respectively. Those with mild, moderate, severe, and very severe stress accounted for 12.8%, 12%, 5.3%, and 2.5%, respectively. Perceived overworking was significantly greater during the pandemic compared to before the pandemic. Significant experience in teaching, and less perceived overworking before and during the pandemic were associated with better mental health. (4) Conclusions: Periodic mental health screening for teachers may be beneficial in preventing mental health disorders and improving the quality of student education. A full assessment and innovation of the curriculum and workload should be implemented.

Suggested Citation

  • Theingi Maung Maung & Sing Ying Tan & Chai Li Tay & Mohammed Shahjahan Kabir & Lubna Shirin & Tan Yong Chia, 2022. "Mental Health Screening during COVID-19 Pandemic among School Teachers in Malaysia: A Cross-Sectional Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-10, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:17:p:10664-:d:898787
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/17/10664/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/17/10664/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. R Zirwatul Aida R Ibrahim & Wan Zaleha Mohd Zalam & Bob Foster & Teuku Afrizal & Muhamad Deni Johansyah & Jumadil Saputra & Azlina Abu Bakar & Mazidah Mohd Dagang & Siti Nazilah Mat Ali, 2021. "Psychosocial Work Environment and Teachers’ Psychological Well-Being: The Moderating Role of Job Control and Social Support," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(14), pages 1-19, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Christopher J. Beedie & Andrew M. Lane & Robert Udberg & Peter C. Terry, 2022. "The 4R Model of Mood and Emotion for Sustainable Mental Health in Organisational Settings," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-28, September.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Chiara Ghislieri & Domenico Sanseverino & Valentina Dolce & Paola Spagnoli & Amelia Manuti & Emanuela Ingusci & Tindara Addabbo, 2023. "Emotional Exhaustion and Engagement in Higher Education Students during a Crisis, Lessons Learned from COVID-19 Experience in Italian Universities," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-17, February.
    2. Chih Nuo Grace Chao & Alan Chi-Keung Cheung & Elaine Lau & Angel Nga Man Leung, 2023. "Teachers’ Perceptions on Quality of School Leadership and Psychological Well-Being: The Mediating Roles of Work-Related Meaning in Life and Optimism in Hong Kong Kindergarten Teachers," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 18(3), pages 1249-1268, June.
    3. Dunja Demirović Bajrami & Marko D. Petrović & Dejan Sekulić & Milan M. Radovanović & Ivana Blešić & Nikola Vuksanović & Marija Cimbaljević & Tatiana N. Tretiakova, 2022. "Significance of the Work Environment and Personal Resources for Employees’ Well-Being at Work in the Hospitality Sector," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-15, December.
    4. Siti Nazilah Mat Ali & Lucian-Ionel Cioca & Ruhiyah Sakinah Kayati & Jumadil Saputra & Muhammad Adam & Roxana Plesa & Raja Zirwatul Aida Raja Ibrahim, 2023. "A Study of Psychometric Instruments and Constructs of Work-Related Stress among Seafarers: A Qualitative Approach," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-22, February.
    5. Neslihan Onur & Ayse Celik Yetim & Yigit Guven & Ebru Gozen & Derya Ozilhan Ozbey & Gul Coskun Degirmen, 2024. "Employer Brand Attractiveness and Organizational Commitment: The Moderating Role of Organizational Support," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-23, June.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:17:p:10664-:d:898787. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.