Relationships Between Psychological Well-Being, Happiness And Perceived Occupational Stress Among Primary School Teachers

OBJECTIVE To examine relationships between psychological well-being, happiness and perceived occupational stress among primary school teachers in Iran. METHOD This cross-sectional study was carried out from September 23, 2014 to May 22, 2015 in Bandar Abbas, Iran. The sample size was 330, calculated according to the Morgan table. Three questionnaires were used for data gathering, specifically scales of perceived occupational stress and psychological well-being, and the Oxford Happiness Scale. RESULTS The mean age of the participating teachers was 32.58 +/- 7.48 years. Significant negative correlation was demonstrated of occupational stress with life satisfaction (p<0.01, r=-0.81), spirituality (p<0.01, r=-0.64), joy and optimism (p<0.01, r=0.52), individual development (p<0.01, r=-0.48), positive relationships with others (p<0.01, r=-0.74), and autonomy (p<0.01, r=-0.4), as well as with overall psychological well-being (p<0.01, r=-0.8). In addition, significant positive correlation was demonstrated between subjective well-being and happiness (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS Occupational stress in teaching may lead to poor psychological well-being and reduced happiness in primary school teachers.