Trabalho docente e saúde mental de professores do ensino privado do Rio Grande do Sul/Brasil: análises a partir da Psicologia Positiva

Abstract

Private education teachers are a professional category exposed to intense demands, which often are not accompanied by sufficient job resources. This can make educators sick, which helps explain the fact that most studies with this category focus on the negative aspects of teaching work. In order to help overcome the mental illness perspective in this category, this thesis aimed to analyze the influence of personal characteristics, job demands and job resources on the subjective wellbeing of teachers from private educational institutions in Rio Grande do Sul/Brazil. It is organized in three studies. The first is a qualitative study focused on job resources that contribute to the optimization of teacher wellbeing. The second is a quantitative study that, examining personal characteristics, Job Demands-Resources present in teaching work, verified the profile of educators more and less mentally healthy. The third study, also quantitative, aimed to know the relationships between mental health, Job Demands-Resources, Work Engagement and personal characteristics of teachers. There are indications that main job resource to face difficulties in teaching work is the establishment and maintenance of positive relationships with colleagues, managers and students. It is suggested the development and implementation of interventions for private education teachers from the references of Positive Psychology, in order to strengthen the personal strengths of educators and the healthy aspects of teaching work.