Psychosocial Wellbeing of Nigerian Teachers in Special Education Schools.

Psychosocial Wellbeing of Nigerian Teachers in Special Education Schools. J Autism Dev Disord. 2020 Jul 14;: Authors: Olagunju AT, Akinola MA, Fadipe B, Jagun OO, Olagunju TO, Akinola OO, Ogunnubi OP, Olusile OJ, Oluyemi OY, Chaimowitz GA Abstract While there is evidence that impaired psychosocial wellbeing can compromise the effective performance of work-related roles, little is known about the wellbeing of teachers working with children with developmental disabilities. We interviewed 68 special education schoolteachers (response rate = 70.8%) in a Nigerian state with 12-item General Health Questionnaire and an adapted Zarit Burden Interview. About four in every ten teachers had psychological distress, representing many-fold the rates reported in the general population, and significant burden was prevalent in 51.5%. Perceived burden correlated significantly with psychological distress, anxiety/depression and social dysfunction (rs = .3). While increased burden predicted psychological distress, longer teaching experience was protective against distress. These findings underscore the need for psychosocial support for special education schoolteachers to enhance their wellbeing and roles. PMID: 32666197 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Tags: J Autism Dev Disord Source Type: research