Teachers in Japan Suffering from Record High Stress

A survey conducted by the Japan Mutual Aid Association of Public School Teachers, which has members who are teachers and staff from public elementary, junior high, and high schools across the country, revealed that the percentage of teachers experiencing high levels of stress (which requires a doctor’s interview) rose to a record high of 11.7% in 2023.

The association has been conducting stress checks on teachers and staff members since 2016. Except for 2020, when there was a series of temporary school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the percentage of teachers experiencing high levels of stress has continued to rise. The percentage who took sick leave due to mental health issues showed a similar trend, reaching a high of 0.71% in 2022. In the 2022 survey, junior high and high school teachers in particular had a greater percentage of feeling stressed, especially those aged in their thirties and forties.

An analysis of the causes of stress (with multiple responses possible) was conducted based on data collected on a total of approximately 1.7 million people from the surveys for 2016 through 2022. The two most common causes of stress highlighted in the 2022 survey were the “administrative workload” at 21.4% and “interaction with challenging students” with 19%. The growing problem of monster parents, who make repeated unreasonable demands and complaints toward teachers meant that, at 12.4%, “interaction with parents” ranked fourth for the first time.

The association stated that “it is essential to prevent issues arising, such as teachers having to take sick leave, before they occur, by working to improve the work environment.”

(Translated from Japanese. Banner photo © Pixta.)