Predictors of Psychological Strain and Allostatic Load in Teachers: Examining the Long-Term Effects of Biopsychosocial Risk and Protective Factors Using a LASSO Regression Approach

Alexander Wettstein (), Gabriel Jenni, Ida Schneider, Fabienne Kühne, Martin grosse Holtforth and Roberto La Marca
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Alexander Wettstein: Department of Research and Development, University of Teacher Education Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
Gabriel Jenni: Department of Research and Development, University of Teacher Education Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
Ida Schneider: Department of Research and Development, University of Teacher Education Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
Fabienne Kühne: Department of Research and Development, University of Teacher Education Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
Martin grosse Holtforth: Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
Roberto La Marca: Department of Research and Development, University of Teacher Education Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 10, 1-20

Abstract: Teacher stress significantly challenges teachers’ health, teaching quality, and students’ motivation and achievement. Thus, it is crucial to identify factors that effectively prevent it. Using a LASSO regression approach, we examined which factors predict teachers’ psychological strain and allostatic load over two years. The study included 42 teachers (28 female, M age = 39.66, SD = 11.99) and three measurement time points: At baseline, we assessed teachers’ (a) self-reports (i.e., on personality, coping styles, and psychological strain), (b) behavioral data (i.e., videotaped lessons), and (c) allostatic load (i.e., body mass index, blood pressure, and hair cortisol concentration). At 1- and 2-year follow-ups, psychological strain and allostatic load biomarkers were reassessed. Neuroticism and perceived student disruptions at baseline emerged as the most significant risk factors regarding teachers’ psychological strain two years later, while a positive core self-evaluation was the most important protective factor. Perceived support from other teachers and the school administration as well as adaptive coping styles were protective factors against allostatic load after two years. The findings suggest that teachers’ psychological strain and allostatic load do not primarily originate from objective classroom conditions but are attributable to teachers’ idiosyncratic perception of this environment through the lens of personality and coping strategies.

Keywords: teacher stress; risk and protective factors; psychological strain; allostatic load; LASSO regression (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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