Work and Common Mental Disorders in Private Education Teachers: Theoretical Model

Abstract The teaching category is among the professions that most fall ill. The objective was to propose a theoretical model that explains the relationship between work context, experiences of pleasure and suffering, and common mental disorders. Data collection was online in a sample of 740 private education teachers from all levels of education in the state of Rio Grande do Sul/Brazil. The cross-sectional and explanatory research used a Self-Reported Questionnaire, the Work Context Assessment Scale and the Scale of Indicators of Pleasure and Suffering at Work as instruments. As a result, the structural equation model presented the variables of work organization, socio-professional relationships, professional achievement, and emotional exhaustion as predictors of common mental disorders. Social-professional relationships, although they present a risk of illness and emotional exhaustion, are at the same time protective and generate professional fulfillment, when evaluated positively. Work organization is an important predictor of emotional exhaustion and mental disorders.