Why Educators Are Among the Most Mentally Strained Professions Today

Educators have long been the quiet backbone of our communities, shaping minds, nurturing resilience, and holding together the emotional fabric of schools. But recent data and on-the-ground accounts paint a deeply troubling picture: teachers and school staff across Australia are now among the professions most at risk of poor mental health, burnout, and psychological injury.

The Black Dog Institute’s 2023 national survey of 4,000 educators painted a stark picture: nearly half of all teachers were considering leaving the profession within 12 months. That number had more than tripled since 2021. Respondents pointed to emotional exhaustion, behavioural challenges, and a system that felt increasingly unsupportive.

WorkCover and compensation claims are reflecting what schools are experiencing daily. In South Australia alone, data released this year shows over $169 million has been paid out to educators for work-related psychological injuries. The number of claims continues to rise, with many linked to growing violence in schools, emotional strain, and lack of institutional support.

One of the most concerning elements is that mental health conditions have overtaken physical injuries as the most costly and complex category of claims for teachers. Experts are warning that this trend, left unaddressed, will continue to erode the teaching workforce—and, with it, the quality of public education.

A 2025 national report from The Guardian Australia revealed that educators are increasingly exposed to violent and disrespectful student behaviour, including verbal abuse, physical threats, and targeted harassment. Many teachers feel powerless, with little backing from leadership and few effective avenues for redress.

This environment contributes to a rising level of secondary traumatic stress—the emotional toll of caring for and managing students who are themselves affected by trauma, poverty, and instability. In fact, some Australian studies suggest that teachers now report higher levels of secondary trauma than frontline healthcare workers, a comparison that underlines the seriousness of what educators are navigating daily.

What makes this crisis particularly heartbreaking is that most educators don’t enter the profession unaware of its challenges—they enter it because they care. But passion is no longer enough to offset the grind of overwork, escalating accountability, increased scrutiny, and the constant pressure to do more with less.

The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) recently identified “unsustainable workloads” and “decreasing respect for the profession” as major contributors to declining teacher retention. Surveys confirm that many educators feel deeply undervalued, despite taking on the role of academic instructor, counsellor, carer, mediator, and administrator all at once.

The good news is that awareness is growing. Advocacy bodies, mental health organisations, and forward-thinking school leaders are beginning to shine a light on the structural conditions contributing to this crisis. Initiatives focused on whole-school wellbeing, trauma-informed practice, and nervous system regulation are helping schools rethink what support can—and should—look like.

But awareness must turn to action. Teachers cannot continue to be expected to pour from an empty cup. Protecting educator mental health isn’t a ‘nice-to-have’—it’s a critical investment in the future of education.

At The Balance Collective, we believe in the power of preventative care, systemic solutions, and human-first leadership. Supporting educators’ wellbeing isn’t a fringe initiative—it’s a central pillar of building safe, thriving school communities.

If you’re ready to explore how we can support your school staff with trauma-aware, research-backed wellbeing solutions, we’re here to walk alongside you.