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I quit! Is there an association between leaving teaching and improvements in mental health?

Jerrim, J; Sims, S; Taylor, H; (2021) I quit! Is there an association between leaving teaching and improvements in mental health? British Educational Research Journal , 47 (3) pp. 692-724. 10.1002/berj.3680. Green open access

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Abstract

The mental health and well‐being of teachers is an issue of great policy concern. This is particularly true in England, where high workload and the associated stress is thought to be leading to a recruitment and retention crisis within the education profession. But do individuals who decide to leave teaching for another career actually see their well‐being and mental health improve? We provide new evidence on this matter for individuals aged between 40 and 65, using the rich information gathered as part of the UK Biobank study. Our analysis shows that individuals who choose to leave teaching are somewhat happier in their work, but do not generally experience any improvement in their general well‐being or mental health. We hence caution those middle‐aged teachers who are thinking of leaving teaching that the grass may not necessarily be greener on the other side.

Type: Article
Title: I quit! Is there an association between leaving teaching and improvements in mental health?
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1002/berj.3680
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3680
Language: English
Additional information: This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher's terms and conditions.
Keywords: Biobank, mental health, teachers
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Learning and Leadership
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Learning and Leadership > Centre for Education Policy and Equalising Opportunities
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Social Research Institute
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Cardiovascular Science
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10114181
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