Predicting Teacher Mental Health: Demographics, Support, and Policy

Teacher mental health significantly impacts educators, students, and school climates. This study explored relationships between teachers’ demographic characteristics, school contexts, professional support, recent policy shifts (e.g., classroom cell phone bans), and comfort with emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) with their mental well-being. Surveying 672 U.S. PK-12 teachers, hierarchical regression revealed that stronger administrative, colleague, and parental support positively predicted mental health. Comfort with AI, identifying as Black, and teaching in a hybrid or microschool context also correlated positively with mental health outcomes. Findings highlight the importance of robust professional support systems and targeted professional development to enhance teacher well-being.