Types of stressors, stress-coping strategies, and personality traits as predictors of depression and anxiety among teachers in a suddenly stressful situation

Beata Hintze; Ewelina Cichoń; Anna Barczak; Adrianna Malik; Magdalena Gawrych

doi:10.5114/jhi.2025.155418

eISSN: 2450-5722
ISSN: 2450-5927

Journal of Health Inequalities

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abstract:

Original paper

Types of stressors, stress-coping strategies, and personality traits as predictors of depression and anxiety among teachers in a suddenly stressful situation

Beata Hintze

¹

,

Ewelina Cichoń

²

,

Anna Barczak

³

,

Adrianna Malik

⁴

,

Magdalena Gawrych

¹

Institute of Psychology, The Maria Grzegorzewska University, Warsaw, Poland
Institute of Social Studies, University of Lower Silesia, Wroclaw, Poland
Rare and Civilisation Diseases Research Platform, Mossakowski Medical Research Institute, Polish Academy of Science, Warsaw, Poland
“Dobra Przestrzen”, Warsaw, Poland

J Health Inequal 2025; 11 (2)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5114/jhi.2025.155418

Online publish date: 2025/11/24

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Introduction
Remote teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic has become a burdensome challenge for teachers, which can have negative consequences for their mental health. This study aimed to assess which psychosocial factors, coping strategies, and personality traits predict the severity of depression and anxiety among teachers.

Material and methods
This cross-sectional study was conducted between March 3 and April 11, 2021, and involved 2757 teachers, 2,372 (86%) of whom were female. The mean age was 46.14 years (SD = 9.35).

Results
The study results identified three groups of factors that predict higher anxiety and depression levels: (1) factors related to the current pandemic (e.g., worrying about family’s and/or friends’ health, own health, financial problems, problems arising from remote teaching, and family relationships); (2) the stress-coping strategies used (e.g. self-blame, behavioral disengagement, venting of emotion); and (3) personality traits (especially neuroticism).

Conclusions
Understanding the risk factors and the protection of teachers’ mental health will allow therapeutic methods that consider their reactions and behavior in the situation of remote teaching related to the pandemic.

keywords:

depression, anxiety, teachers, COVID-19, mental health, remote teaching

Journal published under the patronage of:

Types of stressors, stress-coping strategies, and personality traits as predictors of depression and anxiety among teachers in a suddenly stressful situation

Beata Hintze 1 , Ewelina Cichoń 2 , Anna Barczak 3 , Adrianna Malik 4 , Magdalena Gawrych 1

depression, anxiety, teachers, COVID-19, mental health, remote teaching

Beata Hintze

¹

,

Ewelina Cichoń

²

,

Anna Barczak

³

,

Adrianna Malik

⁴

,

Magdalena Gawrych

¹