The role of school climate, and flexibility in regulating the effects of stress exposure and promoting well-being in educators

Educators frequently encounter stressful and traumatic situations in their daily work routine, including incidents of violence, behavioral issues, and unfortunate occurrences such as death by disease, accidents, or suicide. Previous studies revealed that such exposure may affect their mental health and may lead to increased clinical symptoms, most commonly symptoms of anxiety and depression. Multiple studies have examined the relationship between stress and trauma exposure and the tendency to develop anxiety and depression symptoms. However, what makes certain individuals more vulnerable to the effects of stress and others more resilient is not yet clear. According to the conservation of resources (COR) model, two types of resources may affect how individuals respond to stress: environmental and personal resources. Whereas adequate resources can help individuals cope with stressors and promote well-being, the depletion of environmental and personal resources may adversely affect mental health. The aim of this dissertation was to examine the effects of these two resources. In a set of three studies, we examined school climate as a valuable environmental resource and the role of regulatory and cognitive flexibility as personal resources among educators. School climate is shaped by various factors such as norms, values, interpersonal relationships, teaching and learning practices, and organizational structures. Experiencing a positive school climate relates to more resilient educators. Regulatory flexibility refers to the capability of adapting different strategies as per situational demands, while cognitive flexibility refers to the ability to update world schemas as per the situation. Both flexibilities are associated with more adaptive reactions to stress, while low levels of flexibility increase maladaptive mental behaviors. Study 1 examined the unique contribution of the school systemic resource and the individual resource to predicting anxiety and depression among educators. 1,217 educators participated in the study. School climate was assessed at a school level, allowing contextual effects estimation, and regulatory and cognitive flexibility entered estimating individual level. The results showed that exposure to school-related stress is associated with increased levels of anxiety and depression symptoms. Moreover, a better school climate was negatively related to anxiety and depression. Finally, regulatory flexibility and cognitive flexibility are negatively related to anxiety and depression. The results of this study suggest that both systemic and individual resources affect the well-being of educators following exposure to stressful and traumatic incidents. Study 2 aimed to examine the moderating role of school climate and regulatory flexibility in the relationship between school-related stress and the tendency to develop depressive symptoms in educators. 1,530 educators participated in the study. The findings revealed that both resources significantly determined the severity of depression symptoms in educators. Specifically, educators with high regulatory flexibility and better school climate showed significantly lower depressive symptoms, independent of their stress exposure. On the other hand, educators with low regulatory flexibility and poor school climate showed a positive relationship between stress exposure and depression symptom severity. Study 3 tested the relationship between exposure to school-related stress, cognitive flexibility, and feelings of fear, threat, and helplessness before and after a psychological first-aid training course. 172 educational counselors were assessed before and after a mental first aid training (30 hours held over a 10-week period). The results indicated that following the training, there was an increase in cognitive flexibility and reduced feelings of fear, threat, and helplessness. Moreover, only following the training, cognitive flexibility moderated the relationship between school-related stress exposure and feelings of threat. This study highlights the importance of training to promote an adaptive response to stress. The results of these three studies support the COR model, emphasizing the importance of both environmental and personal resources in the relationship between school-related stress exposure and mental deterioration. The research strengthens the understanding that a better school climate is a protective factor against the deleterious effects of stress, both at the system and individual levels. In addition, the research emphasizes the moderating role of cognitive and regulatory flexibility in the relationship between stress exposure and the tendency to develop clinical symptoms. Finally, the research findings reinforce the understanding that appropriate training can contribute to developing resources for effective coping. Taken together, the research emphasizes the need for developing targeted interventions that aim to improve both environmental and personal resources to promote well-being in educators.