An Exploration of Educational Psychologists’ Experiences of Occupational Stress and Well-being, and Implications for Practice.

Abstract

This thesis details the findings of a mixed-methods research project aimed at investigating educational psychologists’ (EPs) experiences of occupational stress and well-being, and implications for practice.

In Phase 1 of the study, data (N = 300) were collected across England via an online quantitative survey using two validated data collection instruments: the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL) and the Short Warwick and Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (SWEMWBS). These were used to measure levels of occupational stress and well-being as well as any relationships between the individual constructs of compassion satisfaction (CS), burnout (BO), secondary traumatic stress (STS), and well-being.

The results from Phase 1 indicated that 78% of participants reported low or moderate levels of compassion satisfaction, 72% of participants reported moderate or high levels of burnout, and 73% reported moderate or high levels of secondary traumatic stress. 99% of the participants’ well-being scores fell within the low or medium category, with over 85% of the total reported well-being scores falling below the 2011 Health Survey for England mean score of 23.5 for women, and 23.7 for men. The mean well-being score for the present study was 20.8.

For phase 2, individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with EPs (N = 12) to explore the experiences of EPs in relation to some of the patterns that emerged in the phase 1 data by examining the risk factors, protective factors, and implications for EP practice. The analysis highlights the risk of burnout and compassion fatigue, as well as EPs experiencing an increased sense of loss of autonomy and feelings of helplessness since the COVID-19 pandemic. Protective factors were profoundly situated within the context of time spent with colleagues and opportunities to make a difference.

Implications for EP practice include the necessity for increased recognition and urgent action to address the high levels of occupational stress experienced by educational psychologists. This research also raises concerns about systemic issues within the broader systems that not only directly affect EPs, but also the inclusion and well-being of children, young people, and the families they serve.