Teacher mental health crisis calls for a suicide prevention strategy

All school leaders should receive suicide prevention training to address a “mental health emergency” among teachers, according to a plan unanimously backed by a vote by union members.

A staff survey of members of the NASUWT teaching union found that the stress of their jobs had driven some teachers to the point of suicide.

Of the 12,000 respondents, 23% reported drinking more alcohol, 12% reported using or increased use of antidepressants, and 3% said they had harmed themselves as a result of their work.

The results and emotional testimonies from delegates about colleagues who had committed suicide or were planning to do so prompted members to back a suicide prevention strategy for teachers at the union’s annual conference in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, on Sunday.

It urged the union’s leadership to campaign for staff trained in mental health first aid in all schools and colleges, and fully funded mandatory mental health training.

The primary school’s headteacher, Ruth Perry, committed suicide while waiting for the outcome of an Ofsted report. There have been reports of at least eight other teacher suicides linked to Ofsted reports.

The motion’s author, Row Martin, named a number of teachers who had committed suicide in recent years, including Perry. “We cannot afford to lose any more teachers,” she said. Deputy Kuldip Hoonjan from Leicestershire told the conference that two of her teacher friends had committed suicide.

The unanimously passed motion warned of an “increase in suicide, suicide attempts and suicidal ideation” among teachers, and said the union was concerned the numbers “will only increase.”

Meleri Thomas, from Fife, told the conference she had thoughts of suicide after starting at a school with challenging student behavior.

“I have been in a very dark place these past few months, to the point where I have thought about suicide repeatedly,” she said. “I have also thought about leaving a career of twenty years behind me.”

Deputy Karen Brocklebank said the “stress of rigorous classroom inspections, government targets, unmanageable amounts of paperwork and 50-plus hour work weeks” had caused a rise in suicides and serious mental health problems among school staff.

Another delegate, Claire Ward, spoke of a colleague who confided in her that they were planning to commit suicide. “I was shaking,” she said. “For days I couldn’t think about anything other than what had happened. It kept me awake for weeks.”

Richard Kempa, MP from Northamptonshire, said: “Mental health is in crisis across our profession. It’s a crisis. There is no escape.”

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “We recognize the extraordinary work that headteachers, teachers and other staff do in schools, and we take their welfare very seriously.”

In Great Britain and Ireland it is Samaritans You can contact the freephone number 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US you can call or text National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.orgor text HOME to 741741 to contact a crisis advisor. In Australia the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at friendsers.org.