The study is the first to examine rates of depression, anxiety and stress in Australian teachers, and found they experience these mental health issues at three times the national norm, with more than two-thirds experiencing moderate to extremely severe symptoms of depression and anxiety.

The figures for depression and anxiety alone are more than double the national averages and point to a profession under immense pressure.

“This is not just a wellbeing issue – it’s a workforce issue,” lead researcher Dr Helena Granziera, from the School of Education at UNSW’s Faculty of Arts, Design & Architecture, says.

“Our findings show that teachers are experiencing mental health symptoms at rates far above the general population, and that these symptoms are closely linked to their workload and intentions to leave the profession.”

The study, titled Teachers’ workload, turnover intentions, and mental health surveyed nearly 5000 primary and secondary school teachers across the country, using validated psychological measures (the DASS test).

Workload manageability’s impact on mental health

For teachers, the study notes, workload comprises numerous responsibilities, including administration, data tracking, planning and delivering lessons, managing student behaviour, adhering to school and departmental policies and procedures, and fulfilling administrative duties.

“Although a manageable workload – i.e., the perception that the hours for which they are contracted are proportionate to the hours that they actually work is central to optimal workplace functioning, up to 75 per cent of Australian teachers report their workload as being unmanageable,” the report states.

It found that workload manageability was a key factor influencing teachers’ mental health, and teachers who reported their workload as unmanageable were significantly more likely to experience depressive symptoms, which in turn were strongly associated with their intentions to leave the profession.

The research team would also like to see investment in digital mental health programs tailored for educators, allowing flexible, self-paced support along with system-wide interventions to support teacher retention and reduce burnout.

Notably, 68.8 per cent of teachers described their workload as largely or completely unmanageable.

“Teachers are telling us they’re overwhelmed – not by teaching itself, but by the growing burden of non-core tasks,” Granziera says.

“Administrative duties, compliance requirements, and excessive data collection are taking time away from lesson planning and student engagement. This is leading to burnout and a sense of professional disillusionment.”

Improving working conditions essential

The study’s findings come at a time when Australia is facing a critical teacher shortage.

According to recent AITSL data, up to 30 per cent of teachers are considering leaving the profession before retirement age.

The research findings add new urgency to these concerns, confirming that poor mental health – particularly depression – is a significant predictor of turnover intentions.

“This research provides clear evidence that improving teachers’ working conditions is not just beneficial – it’s essential,” Granziera claims.

“If we want to retain skilled educators and ensure quality education for all students, we must address the root causes of teacher stress and mental health decline.”

The study also highlighted disparities based on location, with teachers in rural and remote areas reporting higher levels of depressive symptoms.

Female teachers were also more likely to report depressive symptoms and turnover intentions, reflecting broader trends in occupational mental health.

So, what needs to change?

In response to the findings, the research team is calling for a multi-pronged approach to support teacher wellbeing.

Their suggestions include policy reforms to reduce non-essential workload and streamline administrative processes and school-level monitoring of teacher wellbeing and workload.

The research team would also like to see investment in digital mental health programs tailored for educators, allowing flexible, self-paced support along with system-wide interventions to support teacher retention and reduce burnout.

The implications of the report’s findings, Granziera suggests, extend beyond the classroom.

“It’s clear improving teacher wellbeing should be a priority of policymakers not just for teachers but for our education system as a whole,” Dr Granziera says.

Poor teacher mental health has been linked to lower student achievement, reduced classroom quality, and diminished student wellbeing.

“Teachers’ mental health is intricately related to students’ outcomes, both in terms of students’ mental health themselves, but also students’ academic achievement,” she says.

“It’s clear improving teacher wellbeing should be a priority of policy makers not just for teachers but for our education system as a whole.”

The UNSW research follows a report last week highlighting the impact that rampant bullying, abuse and violence towards staff and students is also having on their wellbeing, and that bold action is required in response.

Former school leader Geoffrey Riordan, emeritus professor at the University of Canberra, told EducationHQ that school safety should be part of the national conversation, in a similar way to housing affordability and the cost-of-living crisis.

Riordan suggests an ‘ideology around inclusion’, combined with a lack of proper resourcing, has ultimately created an untenable situation for many teachers.

“If you’re going to take kids who might previously have been in specialist settings because they’ve got high needs and put them into classrooms and expect them to get a really good educational outcome as well as the other kids in the class, you’re going to have to put a lot of resources into that school,” he said.

“What I think has happened is they’ve mainstreamed and integrated but they haven’t necessarily resourced, and by ‘they’ I mean governments and school systems – and as a result, teachers are being asked to deal with a range of behavioural and learning differences…”

Riordan called for a closer look at the legal and regulatory frameworks that principals have to follow when responding to incidences of bullying, violence and abuse.

“… there is underreporting of abuse and assaults toward teachers and principals,” he said

“And that in fact, principals are under pressure, and teachers are under pressure to calm things down and not to escalate, because they want to create positive and harmonious communities and schools,” the expert said.

The UNSW study took place between October 2022 and May 2024, with recruitment via the Black Dog Institute website and social media channels using targeted social media outreach and teacher-specific platforms.

“This is one of the largest and most comprehensive studies of teacher mental health in Australia,” Granziera says.

“It provides a clear and urgent message: our teachers are struggling, and they need support.”

To view the study, click here.