51% of teachers depressed, anxious

Seven out of ten teachers feel they lack the training to help pupils with mental healthproblems whilejust over half say the pressures of the job have contributed to them suffering from conditions such as depression and anxiety.

These were some of the findings of a survey carried out by the Mental Health Foundation Scotland.

A total of 51 per cent of teachers questioned said the job had either led to them developing a mental health problem or had made an existing condition worse.

Meanwhile, when it came to helping pupils with mental health difficulties, 71 per cent said they lacked the skills to do this with only 13 per cent of teachers having received mental health first aid training.

More than nine out of ten (92 per cent) want to see mental health training become a key part of teacher training courses – something which the foundation is also calling for.

Figures show that some courses provide student teachers with as little as 15 hours of training in health and wellbeing over the four-year duration of their courses, it said.

However, 85 per cent of the 418 primary and secondary teachers surveyed said if they were given more training it could help them take care of their own emotional condition.