PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS AMONG INCLUSIVE TEACHERS DURING COVID-19 IN SOUTH LEBANON

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on Lebanon's educational sector, leading to prolonged closures of schools and universities (Haigazian University, 2021). As a result, inclusive teachers teaching students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in mainstream classrooms were required to rapidly adjust to emergency remote and hybrid teaching methods. This transition occurred with limited training or resources, making it particularly challenging to meet the needs of students with SEND. Consequently, teachers experienced increased workloads, which adversely affected their mental health and overall wellbeing (Ahmed, 2023). This research aims to evaluate the extent of psychological distress- specifically depression, anxiety, and stress- among inclusive teachers in private schools in South Lebanon after the reopening of schools during the 2021-2022 academic year amid the COVID-19 pandemic. A quantitative survey design was employed. Data were gathered from 88 participants using the Arabic-adapted version of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale [DASS-21] (Alharbi & Osman, 2024), with participants selected through stratified random sampling.  Results revealed a general trend of normal psychological states among inclusive teachers. Nonetheless, 20.5% of the participants reported moderate anxiety. The study also provides recommendations, along with its limitations, and suggestions for future research.

Keywords: COVID-19, psychological distress, inclusive teacher, DASS-21, Lebanon.

Ethics and Conflict of Interest

The authors of the study acted in accordance with ethical rules in all processes of the research. There are no individuals or financial relationships that could be perceived as potential conflicts of interest related to this study.

REFERENCES

Agyapong, B., Obuobi-Donkor, G., Burback, L., & Wei, Y. (2022). Stress, burnout, anxiety, and depression among teachers: A scoping review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(17), Article 10706. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191710706

Ahmed, G. H. A. (2023). Special education teachers’ mental health after reopening schools during Covid-19. PLoS ONE, 18(5), Article e0284870. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0284870

Alharbi, F., & Osman, M. (2024). Psychometric properties of the Arabic DASS-21 scale. Humanities and Educational Sciences Journal, (36), 852-867. http://dx.doi.org/10.55074/hesj.vi36.966

American Psychological Association (APA) Dictionary of psychology. (2018, April, 19). Mental health. APA. https://dictionary.apa.org/mental-health

Atchan, T. (2022). Lebanese teachers’ perceptions of their subjective well-being in times of crisis: A case study [Unpublished master’s thesis], Lebanese American University.

Baroud, T., El Masri, J., Shammaa, H., Saleh, M., Chanbour, H., & Salameh, P. (2022). The impact of COVID-19 pandemic, financial wellness, and online teaching on school teachers’ mental health: A cross-sectional study in Lebanon. International Journal of Clinical Research, 3(1), 150-161. https://doi.org/10.38179/ijcr.v3i1.169

Benevene, P., Stasio, S., & Fiorilli, C. (2020). Editorial: Well-being of school teachers in their work environment. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, Article 1239. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01239

Boujut, E., Dean, A., Grouselle, A., & Cappe, E. (2016). Comparative study of teachers in regular schools and teachers in specialized schools in France, working with students with an autism spectrum disorder: Stress, social support, coping strategies, and burnout. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 46, 2874-2889. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-016-2833-2

Campbell, S., Greenwood, M., Prior, S., Shearer, T., Walkem, K., Young, S., Bywaters, D., & Walker, K. (2020). Purposive sampling: complex or simple? Research case examples. Journal of Research in Nursing, 25(8), 652–661. https://doi.org/10.1177/1744987120927206

Candeias, A., Galindo, E., Calisto, I., Borralho, L., & Reschke, K. (2021). Stress and burnout in teaching. Study in an inclusive school workplace. Health Psychology Report, 9(1), 63-75. http://dx.doi.org/10.5114/hpr.2020.100786

Cao, C., Liao, X., Jiang, X., Li, X., Chen, I., & Lin, C. (2023). Psychometric evaluation of the depression, anxiety, and stress scale-21 (DASS-21) among Chinese primary and middle school teachers. BMC Psychology, 11(1), Article 209. http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40359-023-01242-y

Chan, S. L., Assim, M. I. S. A., & Lim, F. P. (2021). Contributor factors for psychological well-being: A qualitative study of teachers' perspective in Malaysia. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 11(17), 166-175. https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v11-i17/11399

Cui, N., & Ma, H. (2022). Research on the influence of teachers’ mental health on teaching quality. Journal of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, 8, 2048-2054. https://doi.org/10.54097/ehss.v8i.4642

Dreer, B. (2023). On the outcomes of teacher wellbeing: A systematic review of research. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1205179

Dubey, S., Biswas, P., Ghosh, R., Chatterjee, S., Dubey, M. J., Chatterjee, S., Lahiri, D., & Lavie, C. J. (2020). Psychosocial impact of Covid-19. Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research & Reviews, 14(5), 779-788. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsx.2020.05.035

Ducharme, J. (2020, March 11). The WHO just declared coronavirus COVID-19 a pandemic. Time. https://time.com/5791661/who-coronavirus-pandemic-declaration/

El Ahmad, A. H., & Kawtharani, A. M. (2022). Inclusive education at UNRWA in Lebanon: A case study of a lower elementary school. International Journal of Social Sciences & Educational Studies, 9(1), 18-52. https://doi.org/10.23918/ijsses.v9i1p18

Gray, C., Wilcox, G., & Nordstokke, D. (2017). Review: Teacher mental health, school climate, inclusive education, and student learning: A review. Canadian Psychology, 58(3), 203-210. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/cap0000117

Gül, Y. (2023). A theoretical perspective on survey method from quantitative research methods. Universum, 4(106), 64-68. http://dx.doi.org/10.32743/UniPsy.2023.106.4.15254

Hagan, T. (2014). Measurements in quantitative research: How to select and report on research instruments. Oncology Nursing Forum, 41(4), 431-433. http://dx.doi.org/10.1188/14.ONF.431-433

Haigazian University. (2021). Case study on the inclusive education pilot project in Lebanese public schools. Ministry of Education and Higher Education & UNICEF. https://www.unicef.org/lebanon/media/8391/file

Hirshberg, M. J., Davidson, R. J., & Goldberg, S. B. (2023). Educators are not alright: Mental health during COVID-19. Educational Researcher, 52(1), 48-52. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X221142595

Hossain, M. T., Islam, M. A., Jahan, N., Nahar, M. T., Sarker, M. J. A., Rahman, M. M., Deeba, F., Hoque, K. E., Aktar, R., Islam, M. M., Hossain, M. Z., Siddiqua, L., Mahbub, Z., & Islam, M. N. (2022). Mental health status of teachers during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: A web-based study in Bangladesh. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13, Article 938230. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.938230

Jakubowski, T. D., & Sitko-Dominik, M. (2021). Teachers’ mental health during the first two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland. Plos One, 16(9), Article e0257252. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0257252

Jury, M., Laurence, A., Cèbe, S., & Desombre, C. (2023). Teachers’ concerns about inclusive education and the links with teachers’ attitudes. Frontiers in Education, 7, Article 1065919. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2022.1065919

Kaya, B., & Köklü, M. (2021). Burnout levels of teachers working in special education. International Journal of Disabilities Sports and Health Sciences, 4(1), 8-23. https://doi.org/10.33438/ijdshs.825950

Kayal, H. (2014). The challenges of the implementation of class modifications and accommodations for students with learning disabilities in a regular school system in Tripoli-Lebanon (cycle 2) [Master’s thesis, University of Balamand]. UOBScholar Hub. https://scholarhub.balamand.edu.lb/handle/uob/4426

Khochen, M., & Radford, J. (2012). Attitudes of teachers and headteachers towards inclusion in Lebanon. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 16(2), 139-153. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13603111003671665

Kobrossy, Y. (2019). The inclusion of visually impaired students in a Lebanese private school: A case study. International Journal of Learning and Change, 11(2), 190-206. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJLC.2019.101677

Küçüksüleymanoğlu, R. (2011). Teacher burnout levels in special education schools in Turkey. International Journal of Special Education, 26(1), 53-63. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ921186.pdf

Kumar, A. (2025, June 19). Introduction to statistical analysis: Techniques and applications. Simplilearn. https://www.simplilearn.com/what-is-statistical-analysis-article

Kush, J., Badillo-Goicoechea, E., Musci, R., & Stuart, E. A. (2022). Teachers’ mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Educational Researcher, 51(9), 593-597. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X221134281

Lovibond, P. F., & Lovibond, S. H. (1995). The structure of negative emotional states: Comparison of the depression anxiety stress scales (DASS) with the Beck depression and anxiety inventories. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 33(3), 335-343. https://doi.org/10.1016/0005-7967(94)00075-U

Lovibond, S. H., & Lovibond, P. F. (1995). Manual for the depression anxiety & stress scales. (2^nd ed.). Psychology Foundation. https://maic.qld.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/DASS-21.pdf

Lowe, N. K. (2019). What is a pilot study?. Journal of Obstetric Gynecologic & Neonatal Nursing, 48(2), 117-118. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jogn.2019.01.005

McCarthy, C. J., Lineback, S., Fitchett, P. G., Lambert, R. G., Eyal, M., & Boyle, L. H. (2017). The role of culture and other contextual factors in educator stress. In T. M. McIntyre, S. E. McIntyre, & D. J. Francis (Eds.), Educator stress: An occupational health perspective (pp. 157-177). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-53053-6_7

Ozoemena, E., Agbaje, O., Ogundu, L., Ononuju, A., Umoke, P., Iweama, C., Kato, G., Isabu, A., & Obute, A. (2021). Psychological distress, burnout, and coping strategies among Nigerian primary school teachers: A school-based cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health, 21(1), Article 2327. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-12397-x

Palma-Vasquez, C., Carrasco, D., & Hernando-Rodriguez, J. C. (2021). Mental health of teachers who have teleworked due to COVID-19. European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education, 11(2), 515-528. https://doi.org/10.3390/ejihpe11020037

Pokhrel, S., & Chhetri, R. (2021). A literature review on impact of COVID-19 pandemic on teaching and learning. Higher Education for the Future, 8(1), 133-141. https://doi.org/10.1177/2347631120983481

Rachman, H., Pranoto, Y., & Diana. (2023). Coping stress levels of inclusive PAUD teachers. International Journal of Research and Review, 10(8), 954-964. https://doi.org/10.52403/ijrr.202308120

Şen, C. (2023). Investigation of burnout levels of special education teachers. Journal for the Education of Gifted Young Scientists, 11(4), 521-528. https://doi.org/10.17478/jegys.1344410

Simkus, J. (2023, July 31). Stratified random sampling: Definition, method & examples. Simply Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.    org/stratified-random-sampling.html

Smith, C., & Ndeda, N. (2021). Lebanon education in crisis: Raising the alarm. Save the Children International & Save the Children Lebanon. https://resourcecentre.savethechildren.net/document/lebanon-education-crisis-raising-alarm/

Thabane, L., Ma, J., Chu, R., Cheng, J., Ismaila, A., Rios, L. P., Robson, R., Thabane, M., Giangregorio, L., & Goldsmith, C. H. (2010). A tutorial on pilot studies: The what, why and how. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 10(1), Article 1. http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2288-10-1

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees [UNHCR]. (2021). Lebanon: Education sector end of year 2020 dashboard. https://data.unhcr.org/en/documents/details/86017

Waiyaki, W., & Cherui, G. (2023). The mental health situation among teachers in learning institutions in Kenya: A concern for attainment of quality education (SDG. NO. 4). Journal of CMSD, 10(5), 80-93. http://journalofcmsd.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/The-Mental-Health-Situation-Among-Teachers-in-Learning-Institutions-in-Kenya.pdf

Wakui, N., Abe, S., Shirozu, S., Yamamoto, Y., Yamamura, M., Abe, Y., Murata, S., Ozawa, M., Igarashi, T., Yanagiya, T., Machida, Y., & Kikuchi, M. (2021). Causes of anxiety among teachers giving face-to-face lessons after the reopening of schools during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health, 21(1), Article 1050. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-11130-y

Warnes, E., Done, E., & Knowler, H. (2022). Mainstream teachers’ concerns about inclusive education for children with special educational needs and disability in England under pre-pandemic conditions. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 22(1), 31-43. https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-3802.12525

Yusoff, M. Z., Shafi, M. A., & Ismail, N. F. (2023). The relationship between state of mental health and factors affecting mental health on academic performance. Journal of Academia, 11(2), 77-86. https://myjms.mohe.gov.my/index.php/joa/article/view/23448