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Staff wellbeing: Are you looking out for your colleagues?

Staff wellbeing Mental health Coronavirus
With more and more teachers experiencing symptoms related to depression and anxiety amid the pressure of the pandemic, Sophie Howells looks at how we can approach conversations with colleagues who may be struggling

Our Teacher Wellbeing Index 2020 found that more teachers than ever are experiencing symptoms that can lead to depression and anxiety.

It also found that 17 per cent of education professionals would not talk to anyone at work about any mental health issues, with almost half (46 per cent) saying that this was because they felt it would negatively affect colleagues’ perception of them.

So as lockdown continues, it is important we look out for each other and normalise discussion about mental health by having open conversations with each other. If you can see that a colleague might be struggling, you don’t need to have all the answers – just asking questions and showing empathy can be incredibly helpful for someone who needs support but isn’t able to ask for it.

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