These are the slides from a presentation given at IATEFL, Liverpool, on 3 April.

1. Mental Health Awareness
for Employers in ELT
Phil Longwell
@teacherphili
Hotel Suite 1
3 April 2018

2. The story so far…
• Interview with TaWSIG for Time to Talk Day
• – Feb 2017.
• Research into the Mental Health of English
Language Teachers - December 2017.
• Talk at IATEFL - Brighton 2018.
• Webinars for IATEFL, International House and
Braz-Tesol.
• Workshops at LONDOSA, ELT Malta and
English UK Academic conference.
• Article in EL Gazette.

3. Disclaimer!
• I am not a medically trained professional
• I am not qualified to give training but I can draw on:
• Research.
• Webinars and workshops already given.
• Personal experience.
• Others’ books and blogs.
• Others’ personal stories.

4. Background
Source: Education Support Partnership / YouGov. (2017) Health Survey 2017. Available
at: https://www.educationsupportpartnership.org.uk/resources/research-reports/2017-
health-survey

5. Source: Nicholls, C. (2018) Employers must do more to protect the mental health
of staff in The Guardian.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/12/employers-do-more-
protect-mental-health-staff
Headlines

6. Source: https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/17/mental-health-
sufferers-like-will-thrive-employers-step-support-us-8347537/
Headlines
Source: https://www.tes.com/news/teachers-work-more-
unpaid-overtime-anyone-else

7. 5 Questions from my Research
• Is it ever right to disclose a mental health condition
upfront or in an interview?
• What are the factors that cause stress in ELT?
• In what ways can employers and institutions support the
mental health or wellbeing of its employees?
• How confident do you feel at recognising symptoms of
poor mental health in teachers?
• Have you ever received training in how to support
teachers’ mental health?

8. Question 1.
Is it ever right to disclose a mental health
condition upfront or in an interview?

9. Tom Rogers in TES
https://www.tes.com/news/too-many-teachers-still-fear-being-honest-about-their-mental-health

10. Question 2.
What are the factors that
cause stress in ELT?
Perfectionism
Workload
Working conditions
Job Insecurity
Poor Pay
Zero hour contracts
Demanding parents
Misbehaving students
Homesickness
Lack of support
Meeting Deadlines
Culture Shock
Excessive responsibilities
Unrealistic Expectations
Demanding parents
Constant observations
Imposter Syndrome
Harassment / Bullying
Peer Pressure
Administration Duties
Threat of Inspection
Individual Learning Plans

11. Stress occurs “when there is a
mismatch between perceived
pressures of the work situation and
the individual’s ability to cope with it.”
(Education Service Advisory Committee, 1990,
cited in Eyre, p.12)
Image source: The Stress Bucket Model. https://www.mentalhealth-uk.org/stressbucket
Photo credit: Meriol Kitchell.

12. Question 3.
In what ways can employers and
institutions support the mental health
or wellbeing of its employees?
• ‘Training’
• ‘Counselling’
• ‘Pay’
• ‘job security’
• ‘working conditions’

13. On Working Conditions…
• “Trainings and retreats sound like a great idea. Job security, solid pay, and plenty of paid non-
teaching time. Having an immediate supervisor/manager who is a teacher and acts as an
advocate for teachers (as opposed to having an adversarial relationship with teachers, which
unfortunately seems to be common).”
• “Respect teaching as lifelong career. Support teachers struggling with managers and owners
who are clearly suffering from exploitative employment. Create special interest groups
supporting and networking teachers struggling for safe pay, conditions, and terms of
employment. Work to free teachers from discrimination. Recognise our rights and advocate
for them.”
• “By recognising that teachers are already overwhelmed by their current workload and that
much of the admin can be shifted to other staff. Not requiring onerous compliance or
evidence of suitability to teach once job is secured; if you are qualified you shouldn’t have to
justify your position. Recognising that teachers require time to plan and design lessons,
particularly in institutions that do not have set course materials or resources. By providing
adequate resources. Having support staff to deal with enrolment, course completion and
student counselling.”

14. Source: Walsh, P. (2018) http://www.teachersasworkers.org/the-well-being-talking-shop/
The well-being talking shop
“I’m worried that too much
of a focus on the psychology
and well-being of teachers
detracts from the broader
systemic issues that cause
these issues in the first
place.”
(anonymous)

15. • How confident do you feel at recognising
symptoms of poor mental health in teachers?
Question 4.

16. • How confident do you feel at recognising
symptoms of poor mental health in teachers?
Activity:
Find some descriptions of conditions on the
handouts.There are 4 on each handout and 8 in
total. Discuss one set of conditions only (1-4 or
5-8) in pairs or groups and decide what kind of
diagnosed condition this is describing.

17. Condition 1:
• A person who is X will have at
least two of the following
symptoms for at least two
weeks:
• An unusually sad mood that does
not go away
• Loss of enjoyment and interest in
activities that used to be
enjoyable
• Lack of energy and tiredness.
Further possible symptoms of X:
• Loss of confidence in themselves or poor self-
esteem
• Feeling guilty when they are not really at fault
• Wishing they were dead
• Difficulty in concentrating or making decisions
• Moving more slowly or somethings becoming
agitated and unable to settle
• Having difficulty in sleeping or sleeping too much
• Changes in eating habits may lead to either
weight loss or putting on weight.
Depression

18. • Increased energy.The person may suddenly be able to do far more than
usual.They will appear restless and can go for long periods with little or no
sleep.
• Elated mood.The person will fill high, on the top of the world, somewhat
invincible.
• Rapid thinking and speech:The person may talk too much, too fast and
keeping changing the subject.
• Lack of inhibitions: The person may disregard risks, spend money
extravagantly, be unusually direct in expressing opinions.
• Grandiose Delusions:These involve very inflated self-esteem / ego.The
person going through this can even lead to believing that they have special
powers or are an important religious figure.
(Hyper) ManiaCondition 2:

19. • People with X have extreme mood swings.
• They experience often extreme low and high phases, often with
periods of ‘normal’ mood in between.
• In the high phase, someone with X may have huge amounts of
energy and feel little need for sleep.They may think and talk
faster than usual, and their thoughts may jump rapidly from one
subject to another, making them easily distracted and
conversation difficult.
• In the low phase, people can feel hopeless, despairing and
lethargic, full of self-blame and self-doubt and have difficulty
concentrating.This can make it difficult to cope with everyday
life. People may withdraw from friends and social contacts, and
they may feel suicidal.
Condition 3: Bipolar Disorder

20. • X is about overwhelming worry, even when
there appears to be no signs of trouble.
• A person with X might experience a fast or
pounding heart, headaches, stomach pains,
tremors, muscle tension, inability to relax,
dizziness, sweating and a dry mouth.
• Other common symptoms include excessive
worry, irritability, restlessness, feeling on
edge, difficulty concentrating, mind going
blank and sleep disturbances.
▪ X can make it difficult for people to
concentrate at work, function at home
and generally get on with their lives.
▪ When symptoms have been present for
a while the following might be noticed:
▪ Inability of difficulty in making decisions
that would normally be easy.
▪ Continually seeking reassurance around
everyday matters.
Condition 4: Generalised Anxiety
Disorder

21. • This form of anxiety is a very disabling condition. People experience
thoughts of an obsessional or recurring nature accompanying
feelings of anxiety.
• These recurring thoughts are impulses or images that the person
cannot get rid of it.These thoughts are unwanted and often
inappropriate and cause marked anxiety in the person.
• Common fears relate to contamination, causing harm to someone
else, behaving unacceptably and also having the need for symmetry
or exactness.
• Repetitive behaviour can include counting silently or repeating
certain words or phrases internally. It may not be obvious to others
that someone is engaging in this behaviour just by appearance.
Condition 5: Obsessive Compulsive
Disorder

22. • People with X experience these changes in emotion and motivation:
• Irritability
• Suspiciousness
• Blunted flat or inappropriate emotion
• Change in appetite
• Odd ideas
• Reduced energy and motivation
• Changes in thinking and perception
• Difficulties with concentration or attention
• Sense of alteration of self, others or the outside world – e.g. feeling
that self or others have changed or are acting differently in some way.
• Unusual perceptual experiences – e.g. a reduction or greater intensity
of smell, sound or colour.
Condition 6: Psychosis /
Psychotic Disorder

23. • People who suffer from X get a sudden onset of intense
apprehension, fear or terror. This is inappropriate or irrational
given the circumstances in which it is occurring.
• The person experiencing X often feel a sense of impending
doom or even death. Many of the physical symptoms are
dizziness, shaking, feeling sweaty, nausea, a rush of adrenalin,
hyperventilating, numbness or tingling pains, pins and needles
and increased heartbeat.
• The amygdala is the primeval part of the body responsible for
the ‘fight or flight’ response.The amygdala is the reason we
are afraid of things outside our control. It also controls the way
we react to certain stimuli, or an event that causes an emotion,
that we see as potentially threatening or dangerous.
Condition 7: Panic Attacks /
Panic Disorder

24. • People with X have a form of psychosis. The most common aspect of this
condition are delusions, hallucinations and thinking difficulties.
• Delusions are false beliefs.These can include beliefs of persecution, of guilt,
of having a special mission or exalted birth or of being under outside control.
• Hallucinations are false perceptions.They most commonly involve hearing
voices.They can also experiencing and sensing things differently.This is
especially the case when the voices make negative comments about the
person or contain unpleasant ideas.
• There may be difficulties in concentration, memory and ability to plan.These
make it more difficult for the person to reason, communicate and complete
daily tasks.These are also sometimes called cognitive impairments.
• It does not mean having dual personality.
Condition 8: Schizophrenia

25. Question: Could you say whether you felt
supported in the workplace and in what ways?
“Yes, my team at the university were amazing. Other lecturers who have also suffered from a
similar experience talked to me. I was able to see a staff counsellor. It was the first time that I
shared my own issues with anxiety as, for the past 10 years of working here, I had kept any
problems to myself. I feel a lot better for being open about it. I have also been looking into
doing research into teacher anxiety in ELT. I have noticed, in general education it is a much
talked about subject but there is so little information in the ELT industry. At the university, I
am a teacher trainer and I deal with ever increasing numbers of teacher trainees who really
struggle with anxiety and depression. I feel as a trainer, if I could be more open about the
subject it might help my trainees. I would express that I love my job as a teacher AND I suffer
from anxiety. I haven't reached the stage of being able to do that yet but it is something that I
am interested in doing. I would especially like to be able to talk about my experience in a
positive way and provide research findings on the topic. I feel very strongly that this is
something that can help people who are teachers or are training to be teachers in ELT.”
(Source: Nicola Walker, a lecturer at the University of Central Lancashire)

26. Question 5.
• Have you ever received training in how to
support teachers’ mental health?
Bamboo Mental Health: http://bamboomentalhealth.co.uk/ MHFA England : https://mhfaengland.org/

27. How employers and line managers
can be trained around this topic
• Mental Health Support in the Workplace
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/how-support-mental-health-work
“Good mental health at work and good
management go hand in hand and there is
strong evidence that workplaces with high
levels of mental wellbeing are more
productive. Addressing wellbeing at work
increases productivity by as much as 12%.”
- Mental Health Foundation

28. How employers and line managers
can be trained around this topic
MHFA England : https://mhfaengland.org/mhfa-
centre/news/mhfa-new-guidance-launch/

29. References:
Devon, N. (2019). Mental health sufferers like me will only thrive once employers step up and support us.
https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/17/mental-health-sufferers-like-will-thrive-employers-step-support-us-
8347537/
Education Support Partnership / YouGov. (2017) Health Survey 2017. Available at:
https://www.educationsupportpartnership.org.uk/resources/research-reports/2017-health-survey
Eyre, C. (2017) The Elephant in the Staffroom: How to Reduce Stress and Improve Teacher Wellbeing.
Abingdon: Routledge.
Henshaw, C (2019). Teachers work more unpaid overtime than anyone else in TES. Available at:
https://www.tes.com/news/teachers-work-more-unpaid-overtime-anyone-else
Longwell, P. (2018) The Mental Health of English Language Teachers: Research Findings. Available
at: https://teacherphili.wordpress.com/2018/04/04/the-mental-health-of-english-language-teachers-
research-findings/
Longwell, P. (2018b) Beneath the surface in EL Gazette. Available at: http://www.elgazette.com/item/517-
beneath-the-surface.html
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England course (2015) www.mhfaengland.org
Mental Health First Aid England Guidance: https://mhfaengland.org/mhfa-centre/news/mhfa-new-
guidance-launch/
Mental Health First Aid England Resources https://mhfaengland.org/mhfa-centre/resources/
Mental Health Foundation. https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/
Millin, S. (2017) Useful links on mental health in ELT
https://sandymillin.wordpress.com/2017/02/02/useful-links-on-mental-health-in-elt/
Nicholls, C. (2018). Employers must do more to protect the mental health of staff in The Guardian.
Accessed 21 November. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/12/employers-do-
more-protect-mental-health-staff
Rogers, T (2019). ‘Too many teachers still fear being honest about their mental health’
https://www.tes.com/news/too-many-teachers-still-fear-being-honest-about-their-mental-health

30. A-ZBookmarks
30 Ways to Mindfulness – New ‘Life Resourceful’ Site by Rachael Roberts
A-Z of Self Care for Teachers | The Best Ticher (Elly Setterfield)
Agi Enyedi - How to avoid teacher burnout (BC webinar)
Be kind to yourself! - Neil Millington - TeachingEnglish | British Council | BBC
Beating Burnout & Avoiding Stress: Top Tips from/for Teachers – Clare's ELT Compendium
Beneath the surface – Phil Longwell’s article in EL Gazette
BESIG Blog: Five great ways to boost Language Trainer wellbeing
Bonus task: Self-talk and teacher confidence (ELT Playbook 1) | Sandy Millin
Bullying, harassment and workplace abuses: Kieran’s story | ELT Advocacy Ireland
Burnout in ELT | iTDi Blog
Employable Me | All at C
Five Great ways to boost Language Trainer wellbeing - by Phil Nash - BESIG Blog
Four ways in which teaching helps your mental health - Tom Rogers in TES
FreeBook: Flipping the System - Routledge
How Many Times Do You Have To Start Again, Again, Again…? – How To Fail At Life Successfully
How should I deal with workplace anxiety? - Denise Cowle
I’m a 1st Year Teacher and I’m Burned Out – Edmodo Blog
IATEFL webinar (7 July 2018) on Mental Health Awareness for Employers – Recording for members
Identifying and tackling teacher burnout | MET
Impostor Syndrome – a post by Danielle H Da Silva
Imposter Syndrome and how to deal with it – Chia Suan Chong (ETProfessional)
Improving Mental Health in Schools – Natasha Devon article in TES

31. Interview for Teachers as Workers SIG by Phil Longwell
It’s Time to Talk about mental health in ELT – Emma's Language Journey
June issue 2018 – Cover | ELgazette
Language Teacher Psychology – Achilleas Kostoulas
LGBTQ mental health | Mind, the mental health charity - help for mental health problems
Life Resourceful – Rachael Roberts
Mental Health - There's a lot you can do. And you should. - iTDi Blog
Mental health (in ELT) | Lauraahaha
Mental Health | @TeacherToolkit
Mental Health Media Charter (Natasha Devon)
Mental Health in ELT – Lizzie Pinard
Mental Wellbeing: Staff homepage - Health & Wellbeing - HR - The University of Sheffield
Mind – The Mental Health Charity
Mind Wide Open | Feet firmly on the ground
Minds Matter: Psychology of language learning | Q&A - Oxford University Press
Not surviving but thriving: Teacher psychology and professional wellbeing: A conversation
with Sarah Mercer | ETAS
PERMA for Teachers: Preventing Burnout with Positive Psychology – Christina Jones ELT Blog
Plenary session by Sarah Mercer | IATEFL Online
Psychosis - Potent cannabis increases risk of serious mental illness, says study (BBC)
A-ZBookmarks

32. Sarah Mercer Macmillan Webinar - Strategies to promote and protect language teacher well-being
Secret Teacher: Class, I wish I'd told you the truth about my mental health - The Guardian
Stephen Ryan on Wellbeing – ELTOC 2019 webinar via Oxford University Press
Stress Awareness Discussion Points #teacher5aday – Clare's ELT Compendium
Supporting workplaces to be mentally healthy - Mind
Teachers are at breaking point. It's time to push wellbeing up the agenda - Teacher Network / Guardian
Teachers’ well-being and mental health: an #ELTchat summary – Muddles into Maxims
Teaching can also support your mental health. Here's how (Tom Rogers)
The Elephant In The (Staff) Room - Why We Need To Talk About Teacher Wellbeing - The Huffington Post
The Pool - How to support a friend who is struggling with their mental health
The Well-Being Talking Shop – Teachers as Workers Special Interest Group
Time to talk about … mental health: Interview with Phil Longwell – TAWSIG
Too many teachers still fear being honest about their mental health – Tom Rogers in TES
Useful links on Mental Health in ELT | Sandy Millin
What I learned from my burn out as a teach – Patrice Palmer
What to do when you can’t stop criticising yourself | The Best Ticher
Where’s Your Head At? - The Mental Health campaign to change the law in the UK
Who is taking care of Teachers? – An Article by H. Richard Milner IV in Education Week
Why mental health matters - ELTjam
Wrestling with the darkness - BrELT - Ricardo Barros
You don’t have to be mad to work here - The Secret DOS
A-ZBookmarks