Stress and Wellness Paradigms Among Educators in Diverse Academic Contexts in Spain, Colombia and Chile

Helia Peris Ramos¹Susana David Fernández¹Ana Isabel Beltrán-Velasco²Rodrigo Yáñez-Sepúlveda^3*José Francisco López-Gil^4*Vicente Javier Clemente-Suárez⁵

• ¹Faculty of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Clinical Odontology Department, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
• ²Psychology Department, Faculty of Life and Natural Sciences, Nebrija University, Nebrija, Spain
• ³Faculty of Education and Social Sciences, Andrés Bello University, Santiago, Chile
• ⁴One Health Research Group, Universidad de las Américas, Quito, Ecuador, Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador
• ⁵Faculty of Sports Sciences, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Tajo Street, s/n, Madrid, Spain., Madrid, Asturias, Spain

Objective: This study analyze the relationship between stress and wellness among educators, analyzing data from 1,037 active teachers across various academic settings. This study has a dual objective: firstly, to analyze the psychological differences among teachers to identify the impact of stress determinants that are prevalent across various academic disciplines; and secondly, to examine the correlation between the psychological profiles of these professionals and their respective teaching domains Methods: To achieve our research objectives, we conducted a study with a unique combination of methodologies, incorporating cross-sectional and retrospective approaches. Initially, we collected data through an online survey distributed through Google Docs for 4 months in the 2020-2021 school year, targeting a representative population of in-service teachers aged between 20 and 70 years (mean age ± standard deviation: 41 ± 9.2 years). Subsequently, different predefined variables were evaluated that studied current conditions such as retrospective evaluations of past data. The research assesses key variables such as teaching experience, teacher satisfaction, loneliness, perceived stress, and various psychological dimensions. SPSS 24.0 was used to analyze the data using descriptive statistics, normality tests, ANOVA with Tukey's post hoc and Pearson's correlation, with a significance level of p ≤ 0.05 to ensure a thorough and rigorous approach in the analysis. The sample consisted of 40.1% men and 59.9% women, with a mean age of 41.0 ± 9.2 years in Spain, Colombia and Chile and a mean teaching experience of 12 years (12.1 ± 8.9 years). In particular, significant differences in stress indicators were observed, particularly among health sciences and engineering/architecture educators compared to their counterparts in the biological and physical sciences; Engineering/architecture teachers demonstrated higher levels of depersonalization and loneliness compared to biological and physical science teachers. On the other hand, health sciences teachers stand out for higher levels of perceived stress, loneliness and conscientiousness. N.The study analyzes the determinants of stress in different academic disciplines, highlighting the significant influence of teaching fields on teachers' levels of stress, depersonalization, and loneliness. In addition, the interaction between psychological profiles and academic domains is highlighted, as well as the psychosocial risks associated with certain disciplines.