AI Insight
This meta-analysis of 153 studies examining Chinese primary and secondary school teachers' mental health from 1998 to 2021 found that mental health levels initially declined then slightly improved over time. Teachers in economically developed eastern regions and urban areas demonstrated better mental health than those in western, central, and rural regions, though economic development factors alone did not adequately explain the temporal trends in mental health changes. The study proposes a "time puzzle of mental health" hypothesis, suggesting that the relationship between economic growth and teacher mental health parallels the Easterlin paradox.
Why it matters
Understanding the factors influencing teacher mental health is critical for developing effective intervention policies in education systems. The findings reveal that regional economic disparities significantly impact teacher wellbeing, suggesting that mental health support programs should be tailored differently for rural versus urban and economically disadvantaged versus prosperous regions.
Understand the Science
ObjectiveExploring the changing trends and reasons for changes in primary and secondary school teachers’ mental health levels is of great importance, and social change, effectively represented by economic development, is a notable explanatory factor in this process. Therefore, this study focuses on the mental health levels of primary and secondary school teachers in China and analyzes the factors influencing them from an economic perspective, in order to provide a reference for the formulation of future intervention policies. Methods: A total of 153 studies published between 2000 and 2024 using SCL-90 (Symptom Checklist 90) were obtained from Web of Science, PubMed, ProQuest, Scopus, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). The cross-temporal meta-analysis and relevant statistical methods were used to explore the temporal and regional differences in primary and secondary school teachers’ mental health levels and their relationship with economic development.ResultsFrom 1998 to 2021, the overall mental health levels of primary and secondary school teachers initially decreased, then slightly increased. Teachers in the eastern and northeastern regions/urban areas have better mental health levels than those in the Western China and Central China regions/rural areas, respectively. Results of the analysis of variance (ANOVA) and subgroup analysis showed that teachers’ mental health levels were related to subgroup variables for economic regions and urban/rural regions. The multiple linear regression model is not significant for the SCL-90 factors over a lag period of 0–3.ConclusionFrom 1998 to 2021, the overall mental health levels of primary and secondary school teachers initially decreased, then slightly increased. There are significant regional differences in primary and secondary school teachers’ mental health levels: teachers from regions with better economic development and urban areas have higher mental health levels. From a cross-temporal perspective, the economic development level cannot well explain the changing trend of primary and secondary school teachers’ mental health levels. The “time puzzle of mental health” hypothesis proposed by this study echoes the Easterlin paradox to some extent, enriches the research in related fields, and provides a new theoretical perspective with reference value for explaining the relationship between economic development and primary and secondary school teachers’ mental health levels.