Stressed teachers are turning to drink

Stress at work is leading some teachers to become increasingly reliant on caffeine, alcohol and prescription drugs, while a number have seen relationships breakdown, it has been suggested.

A new poll indicates that more than four-fifths of school staff think that their job has had a negative impact on their health and wellbeing in the last 12 months.

Given a list of issues and symptoms they may have experienced, some 84% of those polled by the NASUWT teaching union said that they have lost sleep due to their work, while three in four (54%) have experienced anxiousness and a similar proportion (74%) reported low energy levels.

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More than a fifth had been turning to alcohol more often, and the same percentage (22%) said they had increased their caffeine intake.

Just under a fifth said they had lost their appetite and over one in 10 (11%) said they had started to use, or increased their use, of anti-depressants.

Around 9% had had a relationship break down, while around 7% had started to take, or were taking more, prescription drugs. One NASUWT member said: “My husband has left me because I’m always working”, and another said that their teaching job had led to the breakdown of a 16-year marriage. A third said: “I lose sleep worrying. I feel guilty if I am off sick or not working evenings and weekends.”

More than half of those polled (56%) by the NASUWT, which is meeting for its annual conference in Manchester, said that their job satisfaction has declined in the last 12 months, 37% said it had stayed the same and the rest said it had improved.

NASUWT general secretary Chris Keates said: “It is clear that for too many teachers the job is taking an unacceptable toll on their health and this is affecting all aspects of their lives.”

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