A correlation between perceived social support and professional quality of life: a cross-sectional study among government school teachers in the Nuwaragampalatha East educational division of Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka.

Background: Social support for school teachers could play an important role in their professional quality of life (ProQOL). We aim to describe a correlation between perceived social support (PSS) and ProQOL and its association with variables of interest among government school teachers in the Nuwaragampalatha East educational division of Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire. All consenting teachers of the top three government schools (with grade 1 to 13 classes) having the highest student-teacher ratio in the Nuwaragampalatha East educational division of Anuradhapura district were included. Adjusted odds ratios from logistic regression were reported for socio-demographic factors against PSS and ProQOL (p < 0.05). Spearman's Rho was used to find a correlation between PSS and ProQOL (p < 0.05).

Results: Most of the teachers (n = 336) were females (82%), having higher education (63%), married (94%), and permanently residing in Anuradhapura (98%). Most had a high level of overall PSS (61%), a high level of compassion satisfaction (68%), a low level of burnout (56%), and a moderate level of secondary traumatic stress (60%). Monthly household income [aOR-1.65 (1.01-2.69)] and years served as a teacher [aOR-2.85 (1.05-7.74)] were significantly associated with overall PSS. The overall PSS had a positive significant correlation with compassion satisfaction (r =  + 0.31, p < 0.01) and a negative significant correlation with burnout (r = - 0.23, p < 0.01).

Conclusion: A significant correlation between PSS and the emotions of ProQOL was found among state school teachers. Hence, optimizing social support would help improve school teachers' ProQOL.