Health and Well-Being of Teachers in Rural Nova Scotia: Examining Health Promotion Barriers and Accessibility Challenges within a Rural Health Perspective

Abstract

Globally, school teachers are experiencing high levels of stress/burnout due to increasingly complex job demands, causing them to consider leaving the profession. Rural educators face additional place-specific well-being challenges like geographic isolation and inadequate health care access. The current study aimed to investigate the well-being experiences (which includes health, particularly mental health) of teachers living and working rurally (at least 30 min drive from the nearest town of 10,000 or more people). Participants were full-time, licensed, public-school teachers in rural Nova Scotia, Canada (n=11). One-on-one interviews provided data for thematic analysis of the interrelationships between teacher well-being and rurality. Research participants described largely negative well-being, particularly in the mental health domain. Participants talked about high levels of stress/burnout/exhaustion, not feeling valued/questioning their worth, and debating quitting/retiring early. Interviewee mental well-being challenges were intensified by the health inaccessibility impacts inherent to rural living. Geographic isolation, inadequate health care, lack of fitness facilities, time and money constraints, substitute teacher shortages, fewer classroom supports, and community perceptions acted as access barriers to health promotion for rural teachers in Nova Scotia. Although literature confirms the poor state of general teacher well-being, there is a paucity of research regarding the factors influencing rural teacher well-being, particularly from a Canadian/Nova Scotian perspective. This research adds nuanced data on the specific rural living factors impacting the well-being of educators. Identifying well-being barriers provides avenues to better support the teachers that our systems and communities rely on, and may contribute to increasing effective health promotion programs to help them become more resilient.