Social support and bidimensional mental health among primary-level teachers during COVID-19 crisis

ABSTRACT Despite the emerging attention on the impact of the COVID-19 on adverse psychological outcomes, limited studies have focused on bidimensional mental health (i.e., well-being aspects and negative emotional states) among teachers in developing nations. This study examined the impact of the different types of social support (i.e., receiving and giving emotional and instrumental support) on the bidimensional mental health of teachers in the Philippines during the COVID-19 crisis. Using a cross-sectional survey, this study recruited 180 primary-level teachers teaching in online distance learning settings. Sequential regression analyses revealed that receiving emotional and instrumental social support predicted more significant levels of psychological well-being. Moreover, receiving instrumental support predicted lower levels of perceived stress. However, giving emotional and instrumental social support was not associated with psychological well-being and perceived stress. These findings remained true above and beyond COVID-19 infection in the family and awareness of COVID-19 cases in the community. This study highlighted that, compared with giving, receiving emotional and instrumental social support were more salient antecedents of teachers’ bidimensional mental health during the COVID-19 crisis in the Philippines. Limitations and implications for the promotion of teachers’ mental health during a global health crisis were discussed.