Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2015 May 15;112(20):347-56.
doi: 10.3238/arztebl.2015.0347.

Teachers' Health

Klaus Scheuch  1 , Eva Haufe, Reingard Seibt
Affiliations
Review

Teachers' Health

Klaus Scheuch et al. Dtsch Arztebl Int. .

Abstract

Background: Almost 800,000 teachers were working in Germany in the 2012-13 school year. A determination of the most common medical problems in this large occupational group serves as the basis for measures that help maintain teachers' health and their ability to work in their profession.

Methods: We present our own research findings, a selective review of the literature, and data derived from the German statutory health insurance scheme concerning medical disability, long-term illness, and inability to work among teachers.

Results: Compared to the general population, teachers have a more healthful lifestyle and a lower frequency of cardiovascular risk factors (except hypertension). Like non-teachers, they commonly suffer from musculoskeletal and cardiovascular diseases. Mental and psychosomatic diseases are more common in teachers than in non-teachers, as are nonspecific complaints such as exhaustion, fatigue, headache, and tension. It is commonly said that 3-5% of teachers suffer from "burnout," but reliable data on this topic are lacking, among other reasons because the term has no standard definition. The percentage of teachers on sick leave is generally lower than the overall percentage among statutory insurees; it is higher in the former East Germany than in the former West Germany. The number of teachers taking early retirement because of illness has steadily declined from over 60% in 2001 and currently stands at 19%, with an average age of 58 years, among tenured teachers taking early retirement. The main reasons for early retirement are mental and psychosomatic illnesses, which together account for 32-50% of cases.

Conclusion: Although German law mandates the medical care of persons in the teaching professions by occupational physicians, this requirement is implemented to varying extents in the different German federal states. Teachers need qualified, interdisciplinary occupational health care with the involvement of their treating physicians.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Most common complaints (e28) among teachers by type of school (research performed in 2009; as stated by employees [ 14]) ES: elementary school; TSS: technical secondary school; GS: grammar school; SS: special school
Figure 2
Figure 2
Medical diagnoses (e29) of teachers by type of school (research performed in 2009; as stated by employees [14]) ES: elementary school; TSS: technical secondary school; GS: grammar school; SS: special school
Figure 3
Figure 3
Early retirement due to disability and attainment of statutory age limit while still fit for work among tenured teachers in Germany between 1993 in 2011 (modified according to Gehrmann [e42])
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Statistisches Bundesamt Bildung und Kultur. Schuljahr 2012/2013. Wiesbaden: Statistisches Bundesamt; 2014. Allgemeinbildende und berufliche Schulen.
    1. Ulich K. Arbeitsbelastungen, Beziehungskonflikte, Zufriedenheit. Weinheim und Basel. Beltz: 1996. Beruf Lehrer/in.
    1. Schaarschmidt U. Weinheim, Basel, Berlin: Beltz; 2005. Halbtagsjobber? Psychische Gesundheit im Lehrerberuf - Analyse eines veränderungsbedürftigen Zustandes.
    1. Scheuch K, Seibt R, Rehm U, Riedel R, Melzer W. Lehrer Handbuch der Arbeitsmedizin. In: xLetzel S, Nowak D, editors. Fulda: Fuldaer Verlagsanstalt; 2010. F I-L-2 pp.
    1. Hattie J. Abingdon/New York: Routledge; 2009. Visible Learning: A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses relating to achievement.